Playing Parts
by jane0904
Summary: Next in the Mal/Freya 'verse. Serenity takes on a boatload of somewhat strange people, and end up facing an old 'friend'. Read, enjoy, review! NOW COMPLETE but with more stories to come. And many thanks to my reviewers!
1. Chapter 1

_The Prologue_

She stared at herself in the mirror as she pinned up her long hair. Her roots were showing again, she noted. Have to run the brown colour through it again in the shower. Not that it looked bad, but more people might recognise her if they knew her natural colour. Finally satisfied, she lifted the wig from the block and manoeuvred it into place. Gray hair pulled tight into a bun, and already it had changed her appearance, even as she held it in place with grips. Picking up the brush, she dipped it into the paintbox and began to apply shadows and lines. Tilting her face first one way then the other, she added dimension, hollowing out her cheeks, making her forehead more prominent. As last she sat back, an elderly woman looking at her from the glass. She nodded, a small smile lifting one corner of her now thin lips.

Someone knocked. "Janith?"

"Uh huh?"

"Five minutes to curtain."

"Thanks." She stood up and smoothed the plain brown dress over her hips. "Showtime," she whispered.

---

_Act I - Ezra_

"Just you make sure you keep in touch." Mrs Cobb straightened Jayne's collar for the fifth time.

"I will. And you be letting me know how you are. Use the Cortex screen I got ya, even if it's just to leave messages."

"We could have used the feedstore's."

"Don't want you having to go all that way just to speak to me."

"No, well. But you shouldn't have spent your money on us."

"Weren't that much," Jayne said quickly. "And it was Kaylee boosted it so the signal'll go further."

"Thank her for us, then."

"I will."

Mrs Cobb ran her hand down her son's face, as if trying to memorise it. "And you be good."

"Ma, I ain't a kid no more."

"You always will be to me. And it don't mean you don't have to be good. Don't forget, as soon as you get that little girl to say yes, you call me. I'll arrange the biggest wedding this planet's ever seen."

Jayne felt a tug at his insides. "Ma -"

"Now, you just promise me."

He looked down into her eyes, and wished he felt like he was ever going to see her again in person. "I promise, Ma."

"Good boy." She patted him on the shoulder, knowing what he was thinking. "Now, you'd best be getting back. Your captain is bound to be wanting to get going."

"Yeah, Mal don't like hanging about." He stared at her for a moment, then hugged her tightly to his chest. "I love ya, Ma."

"I know. And I love you too, Jayne. And I'm so proud of you."

"Ma …"

---

"Perfect!" The man stood in the doorway to the Firefly and grinned widely, his voice filling the cargo bay.

"Excuse me," Kaylee said, coming down the stairs a little timidly. "Can we … is there something I can do for you?"

"Only if you're the captain of this fine craft," the man boomed, not seeming to have a volume control.

"Well, no, I'm the mechanic, but –"

"Then you keep her in such good condition?"

Kaylee warmed a little. "I do my best."

"I can see that you do. And it is a marvellous best, as well."

"So what can we do for you?" she asked, something about this man with his big shoulders and bigger belly just making her feel like she was special.

"I want to hire this vessel." He winked at her. "And her crew, of course."

"Just … wait there a minute." Kaylee held up a hand. "Right … there."

"Not going anywhere," the man said.

She stared at him for a moment, then hurriedly ran towards the upper cabins. "Mal?" she called down one of the open hatches.

"Yeah, Kaylee?" He moved into her vision, buttoning his shirt.

"Don't wanna disturb you, but there's a man in the cargo bay offering us a job."

Mal glanced behind him, then hurried up the ladder. "Did he give a name?"

---

"Theodore Hawkins, at your service." He shook hands, and Mal wondered if he'd ever have the use of his fingers ever again. "But you can call me Theo. Actor/manager of the Hawkins troupe. Have you heard of us?"

"Well, sir, I have to say, no I haven't. But then I ain't been in too many theatres in the past few years."

"Hawkins?" Kaylee squeaked. "Ooh, I saw you once! In something about a soldier and his one true love, and he thought she'd died, and she thought he had, and it all ended with them finding each other but it was too late, and they died in each other's arms …" She sighed happily. "It was _qi miao_."

Theo beamed. "Ah, the sweet tale of _Eleanor and Rodrigo_. Of course, that was probably when I was younger. And somewhat less on the corpulent side."

"It was a few years ago, back on Phoros …" She realised what she had said, and blushed. "Not that I meant that –"

"My dear girl, I am perfectly happy in my own skin. And if I like my food, then what's the harm?"

Mal watched the pair, trying not to smile. His mechanic still acted like a girl somedays, even though she was a mother and wife. Still, she didn't have the monopoly on not behaving like a grown-up sometimes. And he needed to get the conversation back onto a business footing. "So, Mr Hawkins –"

"Theo, please."

"Theo. You want to hire us?"

"I have several engagements on the outer moons, and my own transport has let me down, very badly. Suffice it to say we don't have such a pretty or gifted an engineer as your own."

"Oh, I'm just a mechanic," Kaylee put in, her face open and bright.

"I doubt you are _just_ anything." Theo sank his head into his many chins and beamed at her. "But I do need someone reliable to get me and my troupe where we need to go."

"And where would that be?" Mal asked, feeling this was getting away from him somehow.

"First of all to Carson's Moon, then Amity and Whitefall before heading on to –"

"Whitefall?" Mal began to shake his head.

"I'm sure Patience won't try and shoot you again, Cap'n," Kaylee said quickly.

"Patience? Would that be the dear sweet old lady I dealt with?"

Mal raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but laugh. "Not quite the description I'd use of the old _wu po_."

"Cap'n!" Kaylee berated him.

Theo chuckled. "If Whitefall is a problem, I'm sure we can accommodate a change. Of course, it would be disappointing a number of our fans …"

"No," Mal said, seeing Kaylee's hopeful face and giving up. "Whitefall ain't a problem."

"Besides, we might not need you for the whole run. As soon as my ship's up and running again, they can meet us. In fact, I wouldn't be looking at all if my other vessel wasn't off working the other side of the Rim."

"How many of you are there?"

"Eight all told, plus our props. Will that be a problem?"

"No, we can accommodate you. When do you have to be on Carson's?"

"Day after tomorrow." He held up a hand. "I realise this is short notice, but I'm willing to pay well above the normal rate."

"Cap'n, what about Inara?" Kaylee put in. "Carson's Moon ain't exactly the same direction as Lazarus."

"'Nara …" Mal mused.

---

"We've got a job," he said, leaning on the doorway and looking into Inara's room.

"That's nice for you." She continued her packing.

"For me, yes. For you … Not sure."

Inara gave him one of her looks. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If I take it, we can't take you back to Lazarus. Least, not yet."

"Oh? How long would the delay be?"

"Probably at least two weeks. Maybe more. It looks as if we're taking a troupe of actors on a tour of the Rim."

"Actors?"

"Man by the name of Theo Hawkins."

Inara's eyebrows raised. "The Hawkins Troupe?"

"I gather you've heard of them."

"They're famous, Mal. I'm surprised you haven't."

"Well, I don't frequent that many playhouses."

"Why are they riding with us?"

"You make it sound like we're a bunch of cut-throats," Mal complained. "I have a reputation myself, you know."

"Mmn. So why are they riding with us?"

Mal exhaled noisily. "Their ship's broken down, and we're available. Truth is, he seems mighty pleased with Serenity. Said we'd make an ideal tiring house. Whatever that means."

"It means he'd use the cargo bay as a sort of room, where some of the action takes place." She sat down on the edge of the bed. "The tomb scene in _Romeo and Juliet_, the inner sanctum in _Lost Edifice_, the lovers' tryst in -"

"I get your drift."

"It would be fascinating to see behind the scenes," she went on, adding, "And I've got nothing to head back to Lazarus for."

"What about the girls?" Mal pointed out.

"They'll be fine with Mrs Boden. Another couple of weeks … they'll think it's Christmas all over again. And I'd love to watch the Hawkins Troupe in action." She looked up. "I saw them once, on Sihnon, when I was a child. I think they did … yes, it was _The Mask of Aramis_."

"Not _Eleanor and Rodrigo_?" Mal asked.

"No. Why?"

"Seems to me any number of my crew've seen these actors except me."

"Oh, then you're in for a treat."

"So I take it you're staying?"

"I'm staying." She looked around her cabin. "Will you need the space?"

"No, I think we'll be fine. I'll let you know if otherwise."

---

"Mr Hawkins, seems like you've got yourself a ship," Mal said, walking back out into the sunshine of Ezra and holding out his hand. They shook firmly.

"That's wonderful," Theo said. "I'll just collect everyone and be back shortly. When can you be ready to leave?"

"Soon as everything's loaded."

"Then I won't delay." He smiled broadly at Mal, bowed deeply to Kaylee, and headed back into town.

"Who was that?" Jayne asked, striding up to the Firefly.

"Our next job."

"Right." He went to walk past, but Mal stopped him.

"You okay?"

He paused. "Yeah. I guess. Just … she ain't gonna last much longer, Mal."

"You're sure?"

"I can see it in her eyes. She knows, too."

"You could always stay."

"I tried. Knew you wouldn't … but she said no. Told me I had a life of my own to live, and a woman to get back to."

"She's right."

"I know."

There was silence for a moment, then Mal dragged a handful of notes out of his back pocket. "Here. Get what you can in the way of supplies. There's gonna be a number of us."

"Sure." He turned back towards the town.

"Don't you want to know who they are?"

"Is it gonna make any difference to me?"

"Probably not. But they're actors."

---

"Actors?" Freya said, fastening Jesse's diaper and pulling the soft stretchy pants back up.

"The Hawkins Troupe. And if you say you've seen them play, I'll divorce you," Mal threatened from the doorway to the nursery.

"No, I haven't." She lifted her daughter up into her arms.

"Good."

"I have heard of them, of course."

Mal shook his head. "I've never felt so uncultured."

"How old is Mr Hawkins?" Freya asked, smiling at him.

"Theo?" Mal flicked his eyebrows. "Told me to call him that. He's … fifty, fifty-five, maybe."

"Then he isn't the first. I remember my parents going to see them once in a special performance in the Grand Theatre on Osiris. My mother was particularly enamoured of the leading man, that he reminded her of her first love, but I'm sure that would make your Theo too young."

"Maybe he's aged well."

"Maybe." She passed him into their bunk. "Still doesn't explain what he's doing out here."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't work at the Grand Theatre if you're a travelling stock company. The Hawkins Troupe was one of the best."

"Maybe they've fallen on hard times." He followed her up the ladder, admiring her buttocks as he did so. He never got tired of looking at them.

"Perhaps." In the corridor above Freya paused, waiting for him. "You know, there were rumours that Hawkins was an Independent sympathiser. I wonder if that made it hard for him to work during the war."

"Maybe." He hitched her around the waist and pulled her in close. "You can ask him at dinner."

"You don't ask guests who they sided with, Mal."

"I do."

"That's because you're a philistine."

"Probably. If'n I knew what that meant."

She leaned forward and kissed him softly, catching his bottom lip between her teeth. He moaned slightly.

"You know exactly what that means. And talking of dinner, hadn't you better get Jayne to put that table up again in the cargo bay?"

"He's out hunting food and stuff. Besides, they're bringing pretty much their whole kit and caboodle with them."

"Then you'd better make sure they leave enough room to sit down." She walked into the galley where Bethany and River were waiting, Ethan swinging his legs. "I have a class to teach."

"I'm still captain," he called after her.

"Always," her voice drifted back to him as he turned down the stairs.

---

Janith looked up as Mikel stuck his head around the door.

"You packed yet?" he asked, his blond hair falling in his eyes as usual.

"Nearly done."

"Just got a call from Theo. He's managed to pick up a transport until the _Cressida_ is back up and running."

"That old ship just can't handle it like she used to."

Mikel nodded sadly. "I know Theo doesn't want to junk her, but I can't help thinking he's gonna have to look for something a bit newer."

"Doesn't he have enough money put away? I mean, he is Theodore Hawkins." She picked up the last of her dresses, taking care to keep the small gun concealed in their folds.

The young man smiled. "The way he tells it, he's as poor as a church mouse." He laughed. "Nah, I think if he had the cold hard cash he'd get her done up properly. Like she used to be, when the highest and mightiest of the Alliance would come calling to watch him act."

"Poor Theo." She put her dresses in the case and closed the lid. "So what ship are we meeting?"

"Theo said it was a Firefly."

Janith paused for a split second, but Mikel didn't notice. "Firefly? Do they still operate?"

"According to Theo. Called something like Serendipity."

"Really." Janith picked up the case. "And when are we joining them?"

"Day after tomorrow on Carson's Moon. That is, if Pol can get us moving."

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"According to her, we can't take off yet. Something to do with the manifold pressure." He shook his head. "I don't understand these things."

Janith smiled. "Nor do I."


	2. Chapter 2

_Act I cont - Ezra_

"What's going on?" Hank asked, sticking his head out of the doorway and looking at most of the female members of the crew hanging over the top catwalk railing, staring down into the cargo bay.

"Watching," River said, not taking her eyes off the action below.

"It's the Hawkin's troupe's stuff," Kaylee supplied, throwing him a grin. "I ain't never seen anything like it before. It's just all so … glamorous."

"Really?" He walked to the edge and stared down as a roll of what looked like painted canvas was carried up the ramp by two young men who appeared remarkably like each other. "Is that it?"

"Don't be so negative."

"Just saying it looks like, well, nothing much."

"You have no romance in your soul."

"Oh, he does," Zoe said, coming up behind him and joining the others.

"Not you too," Hank complained.

"Just curious."

"It's wonderful," Hermione breathed.

Another canvas hanging was brought in, this time partly unrolled.

"Pyramids," Bethany whispered. "With camels," she added as the backdrop was leaned against the wall.

"Ooh, look at those dresses," Kaylee squealed softly. "Almost as pretty as yours, 'Nara.."

"Prettier," River murmured.

"Well, they're certainly different," Inara agreed.

Simon leaned in the doorway to the common area. "I'm not surprised River's enjoying this," he said to Freya, who was standing next to him, Ethan on her hip. "She always loved to dance, and this is pretty close."

"This might be good for her." She looked at him. "How're her hormones?"

"Fairly level. Just a couple of hiccups."

"Like putting those chilli peppers in the stew last night?"

"That was … interesting."

"I didn't know you could go that colour."

He laughed. "Not something I'd like to do on a regular basis."

"She's still saying the food doesn't taste right."

"That's no excuse to nearly poison us!"

"Just be glad it wasn't something worse."

"That's actually true." Simon shuddered.

"Mama?" Ethan asked, pulling at her arm, his eyes huge. "What's that?"

A young red-headed woman was carrying a chest of costume jewellery, and she smiled at the little boy as she put it down in the corner. "Treasures," she said, running her hands across it. "From long lost kingdoms and dragon's caves."

"Thank you," Ethan whispered, and Freya grinned.

Jayne came out of the shuttle. "What're you … oh." He shrugged. "S'just a load of play actors," he grunted. "All make believe."

"Don't you like make believe, Jayne?" Kaylee asked. "Pretending to be something you're not."

"That's called lying. And I've done me my fair share."

"It ain't lying!" Kaylee protested.

"But it is, young damsel," Theo Hawkins said, calling up from the cargo bay floor. "But it's lying with style." He swept his arm into a deep bow, almost touching the decking, before straightening up and laughing, going back to help with the rest of the equipment.

"See," Kaylee said, sticking her tongue out at Jayne. Bethany giggled.

"We could've helped," Mal said, standing outside the Firefly.

Theo grinned. "We know what we're doing, captain. We do it all the time, making up and striking the set. It's no problem."

"Yeah, but you're paying."

"Then you could knock off a few credits."

Mal pointedly ignored the suggestion. "Not sure we can take much more," he said, watching as his vessel was quickly filling with gaudy and impressive fakery.

"That's it. Just us now, captain," Theo assured him, waving his hand at the half dozen people who had been helping and were now assembled in the dust, wiping down their hands. "These are my troupe … well, some of them. You'll get to know everybody, but that's Toby, Riley, Victor and George - they're twins, in case you hadn't noticed - Dana, Chiang … and this is my wife." He smiled at a dark-haired woman, much slimmer than he was, with an indulgent look in her eye. "Etta."

"Ma'am." Mal nodded his head towards her.

"Captain. This is very good of you."

"I'm getting paid, Ma'am."

"Etta, please. Nothing says age to me like being called Ma'am. Or I'll start calling you 'boy'." Her eyes glittered at him in amusement.

"Etta." Mal smiled. He'd only just met this woman and he already liked her. "Well, better get you all settled in, then we'll be taking off."

"I hope we won't make you too cramped," Etta Hawkins said, patting him on the arm.

"We've just dropped a few, so it won't make much difference. And we're used to carrying passengers."

"But not with this amount of luggage," Theo put in.

Mal laughed. "No, that'd surely be the case."

"If you need any help with the cooking or cleaning, just tell me. We're good at helping out," Etta insisted.

"I'd be grateful, at least with keeping things tidy. As for the food, a couple of us are pretty decent cooks, so I don't see any necessity. Unless you'd like to."

Etta grinned, losing ten years. "I think you'd be surprised at some of the dishes we can come up with. Some of the places we've been have had strange cuisines."

"Just don't make anything that looks back at me."

"So stewed pig's head is out?"

Mal grimaced. "Pretty much."

She laughed again. "I'll make a note of it."

"Let me just …" He half-turned, calling back inside Serenity. "Frey."

"Here," she said, handing Ethan to Simon. "My lord and master needs me." She smiled, making her way out into the sunshine.

Mal put his arm around her waist. "This is Freya, my wife. Frey, can you show these good people to their rooms?"

"Surely can." She grinned. "If you folks would follow me, we'll get you settled in."

"That's more than kind," Theo said, taking her hand and whisking it to his lips.

"I think you're probably a bad man," she said, laughing.

"Of course. I have to live up - or down - to my reputation."

Everyone followed her through the cargo bay into the common area. Dana, the redheaded woman, glanced up at the catwalk, her eyebrows raising at the sight of the big mercenary before continuing through the doorway.

River growled lightly under her breath.

Mal strolled up the ramp. "Jayne, I think you'd better be getting the big table put back up in here, if you can find room."

"Mal, I just finished taking it down!"

"Then you'll be practised. Go on."

The big man muttered under his breath as he stalked off to find his tools.

"Kaylee, you and River hang on. Everyone else, find something to do." He waited until they were alone, walking up the staircase towards the two young women.

"Cap?" the young mechanic asked.

He looked at them. "I need you to keep an eye on Jayne for me."

"Because of his mother," River supplied.

"Yes."

"We spoke about it," the psychic said softly. "Before I said goodbye to her. About what will happen. She said she didn't want Jayne to be hanging over her, worrying her with his lost boy look."

Mal couldn't help the small smile. "I conjure it was exactly those words, too."

"It was."

"Is she really that bad?" Kaylee asked, her normally sunny disposition dampened. "I mean, can't anyone do anything?"

"It's only a matter of time," River explained. "She knows."

"So does Jayne," Mal added. "That's why I need you two to watch him for me."

"I can do that," River protested mildly. "On my own."

"I know. But you're having the odd bad day, and Kaylee can catch up the slack at times like that. Just make sure he ain't gonna break something, or someone."

"Are you gonna speak to Hank?" Kaylee said. "You know, just in case?"

"I intend to."

"Jayne will know." River shook her head. "He'll know you've told the crew to pussyfoot around him."

"Not telling them to do that. Just mind what they say."

"Better not."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "And if Hank makes some crack, like he's more'n likely to do? Who's gonna clear up the teeth?"

"I won't let it get that far."

"You can promise me that? With your good and bad days? And I'm saying this from the point of view of getting a mouthful of chilli yesterday."

"Simon's watching me. I can watch Jayne."

"All the time?"

She tapped the side of her skull. "I always do."

Mal nodded, understanding perfectly. "I reckon maybe you do."

River headed towards the shuttle. "Besides, Freya took the chilli away," she added over her shoulder.

---

Janith adjusted the dampener control minutely, then listened carefully. They should all be busy, but it didn't hurt to be sensible. There was no sound outside the bridge. Sliding out from under the console, she smiled. It would take Pol a while to figure this one out. Long enough to delay their rendezvous with the Firefly called something like Serendipity at least. She sighed. Just like him to muck up her plans, so far better not to give him the chance. She smoothed her skirt and went to find Mikel. Just to practice on, of course.

---

_Act II - The Black_

River had felt Serenity take off, her fingers running delicately through the start-up procedure, pressing on empty air, flicking the three switches above her. Her mind's eye saw the flames extinguish, and the sky turn full of stars.

"Mal's talking to Hank, ain't he?" Jayne said, humping a section of the table back into the cargo bay.

"Yes." River sat on a crate, a pad of paper on her lap, her pencils in a pot next to her.

"He likely to have a word with all of 'em?"

"Yes." She drew a line firmly, smoothing the carbon across the surface. "I told him not to, but he's the captain."

"Yeah."

"Are you angry with him?"

Jayne looked at her, the air of delicate steel about her, somehow even more so now that she carried his child. He couldn't help it - he swept her into his arms and sat down, letting her curl around him. The pad of paper fell to the floor.

"No, ain't angry, River. Kinda got used to him interfering. Thinks he's doing the right thing."

"You wouldn't have knocked Hank's teeth out."

"Might."

She pinched him on the pad of the arm. "No."

"Just saying it's possible."

"Zoe would be mad."

"Yeah, there is that." He grinned. "Well, can't be sitting here, no matter how pleasant it is. Got work to do."

"I can help."

"No." He spoke firmly, holding up a finger. "You know what your bro said. Gotta take it easy the first few weeks. Don't want nothing happening to you or the kid."

"Looking after me," she smiled.

"Always, moonbrain. I figure there ain't a better aim in life than that."

"Used to be alcohol, guns, and women of easy virtue."

"Still like a drink. And I ain't giving away my girls."

"But you have me now."

He grinned. "Yeah."

He kissed her gently, then a little harder, and she felt the hairs from his goatee on her cheeks and chin. She sighed happily.

"My Jayne," she whispered into his mouth.

"Well, your Jayne has to get on, or Mal'll have one of his hissy fits and I'll be cleaning the barnacles off Serenity's keel without a suit."

"No barnacles in space."

"Don't think that'll stop 'im." He stood up easily, as usual her weight feeling like the softest of feathers in his arms. Turning, he placed her back on the crate, then bent down and picked up her pad. "Here."

"Thank you."

He grinned and walked back out to get the next piece of table.

River carried on drawing, the image swiftly coming together, vaguely aware of Jayne moving stuff around in the bay as she concentrated on the picture in her head.

Someone came up behind her, his footfalls almost silent for a big man.

"That's beautiful," Theo said, looking over her shoulder. "You have the eye of an artist."

And the hands of an assassin, she thought sadly, but didn't say. "Thank you." She held up the large pad of paper at arm's length. "I'm not sure I got the eyes right."

Theo scrutinised it carefully. "I think you have captured your Captain perfectly."

"I'm doing everyone, making them into a mural."

"An admirable undertaking." Theo sighed. "Now, if only I could find someone to touch up our own undertakings."

She smiled slightly. "You mean your painted scenery?"

Theo's lips twitched. "That I do. Some of them are showing signs of wear. I wonder, my dear, if you would be so kind? I'd normally ask Mikel, but he's on the other tour and, for obvious reasons, unable to do so."

"Do you always work with so few?" River asked, getting to her feet and walking across to the backdrop of the pyramids that had so captivated Bethany before.

"It didn't use to be like that," Theo said, sighing theatrically. "In my father's day we had stagehands, carpenters, flyers and wingmen, expert seamstresses and special effects artistes. Now, we all have to do more than one job. My wife, for instance, plays opposite me, creates all of our costumes, and helps with the make-up. But it's a noble tradition. Shakespeare himself acted as well as wrote for the Lord Chamberlain's Men. I expect he rented out the cushions, as well."

"A penny a time." She laughed unexpectedly. "I think I'd rather have been a groundling."

"As would I." If he was surprised at her knowledge he didn't show it.

River touched the peeling paint with a delicate finger. "What happened?"

"To Shakespeare?"

"To the Hawkins Troupe."

"Ah, that, my dear, is a long and very dull tale."

"Mal is going to ask you at dinner."

"Then perhaps I should wait to tell it until then, and bore everyone at the same time."

She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "I don't think anyone will be bored." She turned back to the pyramids. "The Sphinx is in the wrong place," she noted.

"How do you know?" he asked, surprised.

She shrugged. "Just know."

"Well, I suppose it comes under poetic license," Theo said, joining her. "Nothing in here is real."

"No." She put her head on one side. "Except us."

"And I'm sometimes not sure about myself." He laughed, a booming sound that echoed in his deep chest and full belly. "Well? Will you help us?"

She grinned suddenly. "I'd love to."

"Good. Good." Theo clapped his hands together, rubbing them as if for warmth. "Now, when's this food supposed to be arriving?"

"Not for an hour or so."

"An hour? I can't wait that long. I need sustenance." Theo tapped his stomach. "I can't keep this wonderful figure without regular injections of food." He smiled. "I'm sure my wife has something packed away for just such an emergency." He crooked his arm, elbow towards her. "Would you care to join me?"

"Sorry, but that'll have to wait," Hank called over the catwalk. "Got a message for you, Mr Hawkins, just come through. From someone called Polka." He shook his head. "Someone really called that?"

Theo laughed. "Her sisters are Tango, Valeta, and Quadrille." He leaned towards River as if they were co-conspirators. "A very musical family."

"I'm guessing they ain't happy with their parents," Hank said, chuckling.

"Quite the contrary. It appears to have given them something of a unique outlook on life."

"Yeah. Just hate to think what that might be."

Theo looked at River. "I'm afraid our little assignation will have to wait."

"Another time."

"Oh, indeed. And I shall look forward to it." He bowed low, then walked up the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

_Act II cont - The Black_

"Captain, I have a problem." Theo barely waited until they were all sitting down around the large table in the cargo bay, the food ready and waiting in the centre.

"Problem?" Mal looked across at him.

"I may have hired you under a misapprehension."

Mal tensed. "What kind of misapprehension might this be?"

"I have received a message from Polka. She's my second … she runs the Cressida, my other ship. It appears they're plagued with problems at the moment, just as the Troilus is, and … well, the truth is she won't be able to meet us on Carson's Moon."

"I see." He reached out and took a hunk of bread from the platter.

"It means I might have to cancel our performance there."

"No!" … "Theo, you can't!" … "But what about -" The voices of the rest of his troupe shouted over each other.

"I don't want to," Theo said loudly. "Of course I don't. But I'm not sure there is an alternative."

"There must be something," Etta said, putting her hand on her husband's. "How soon will the Cressida be ready to fly?"

"Pol didn't know. It could be a few days, it could be a month. And the truth is, even if we changed the production, we might have to cancel the rest of the tour anyway."

"Oh, Theo."

"How far off are they?" Mal asked, chewing on a morsel of crust.

"Not that far, not really, but … why?"

"I was just wondering whether we couldn't make a detour. Kaylee's damn good with engines - she might be able to figure out what's wrong with Cressida's."

"That would be good of you, but they're in the wrong direction. We'd never make the first performance if we did that."

"You make it sound as if you'd be doing more than disappointing your audience," Inara said shrewdly.

"We have money tied up in this," Theo said, shaking his head. "These performances will bring in enough for us to rest for two months, recharge our batteries, train new people. Without it, we'll have to split up again, and that means we can't do the big shows." He sighed deeply. "This is just what I didn't want."

"Anything we can do to help?" Mal asked. "I mean, if you're sure Kaylee can't -"

"I don't see how."

"What were you planning on doing? The play, I mean?" Simon asked.

"_A Midsummer Night's Dream_."

Hank looked up. "A what?"

"_A Midsummer Night's Dream_," Theo said, smiling fondly, if a little sadly. "It's a love story. Actually four love stories. With fairies."

Jayne grimaced. "Fairies?"

"Oh, it was my favourite Shakespeare play," River said dreamily.

"Mine too," Freya agreed. "We did it at school once, and I played Titania."

"Tit-who?"

"I love that story," Inara added. "The forest, the moonlight, Hermia and Helena, Lysander and … oh, what was the other's name?"

"Demetrius," Zoe put in unexpectedly.

"You too?" Mal asked, almost as if he was being betrayed by his first mate. She merely gave him one of her looks back.

Theo went on, "It's one of our most famous productions, and as it happens each of the planets we are to visit has requested it. But now, without half of my cast members, I don't see how …"

Etta squeezed his hand.

"Well," Mal said into the ensuing silence, "I'm thinking maybe we should eat first, talk about alternatives after. I'm pretty sure we could come up with something, if we all put our heads together."

"Sure we can," Kaylee said, passing a dish of delicately fragranced rice down the table.

"Why?" Theo asked. "Why would you even consider trying to help us? You don't know us."

Mal loaded his plate with vegetables before answering. "Maybe I'm just being selfish," he said, handing the bowl to Freya. "Maybe I just wanna get paid."

"I don't believe that."

"Then maybe I'm feeling contrary."

Theo smiled. "I think you're a complicated man."

"Maybe that too." Mal shrugged. "Better eat, before Kaylee gets mad at us leaving the food to get cold."

"No, I wouldn't want that," Theo said, nodding his head towards the young mechanic. "Not after this magnificent repast has been set before us."

"It ain't that magnificent," Kaylee said, colouring prettily.

"It's good food," Mal said stoutly. "So let's eat."

Everyone tucked in, some with more enthusiasm than others. It was notable that the actors were subdued, almost to a man, eating in virtually total silence. Even the looks Dana was throwing at Jayne didn't lighten the atmosphere, only making River move her chair closer to her man's.

Finally it was too much for Freya, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the emotions of so many extrovert and creative people washing up and down the table. "So, Theo," she began, wiping Ethan's fingers and knowing all eyes had lifted to her. "How come you're out here flying around the Rim and not wowing them in the Core?"

Theo stared at her, then laughed, a warm sound that lifted all their hearts. "Wowing them? My dear Mrs Reynolds, it's been a while since we did that."

"Then why don't you tell us about it?"

Theo looked at his own wife, who nodded slightly, and Mal tried to stop the smile that threatened to lift his lips. It was fairly obvious who wore the trousers in that match.

"I'm sure no-one wants to hear about our ancient history …"

"Course we do," Kaylee said encouragingly.

"And the Hawkins Troupe is famous," Inara added, dabbing at her lips with her napkin. "Quite a number of us have seen you, or at least heard of you." She shot a glare towards Mal, who ignored it.

"Well, I suppose if you insist …"

"Please," River said, cutting her food into tiny portions and chewing each one assiduously.

"Then since you ask so nicely …" Theo smiled. "The tale of the amazing Hawkins Troupe, and its sorry fall from grace."

"Fall?" Hank asked, then quietened down when Zoe put her hand on his arm.

"We were founded by my father, Andreas Hawkins, some fifty years ago. I took my first tottering steps as an actor playing his son, aged three. A little group, numbering not more than ten at any one time, playing the smaller houses on Persephone. But he was good, and so was my mother. It took them a long time, but they built a reputation, not least of which was for reliability. You booked the Hawkins Troupe, you knew you were going to get professionalism as well as a damn good show. When finally their overnight success came, it was on the back of years of hard work."

"The Core?" Inara asked.

"Yes, dear lady. They … we were invited to some of the grandest theatres, from Osiris to Londinium, Sihnon to … well, everywhere. At first we travelled by liner, but after a while my father bought a ship of his own, Troilus." He smiled in fond remembrance. "He loved that ship. Considered it the modern equivalent of the handcart of the old troubadours and balladeers. He said it kept him in touch with his craft. In fact, the success was so great that after a few years he invested in a second, the Cressida, and created another company, with me as its head."

"So what happened?" This time it was Kaylee, entranced by the tale, and the way Theo spoke. She could almost see the pictures in her head.

"My mother died. Quite suddenly."

Her hand rushed to cover her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, child. It was no-one's. A condition she never told anyone about, until one day she just …" He dropped his head for a moment, and Etta took his hand in hers. Seeming to take strength from the contact, he looked up again. "My father lost interest at that point. I was called home and given singular responsibility for the Troupe."

"He shouldn't have done that," Etta murmured.

"What else could he have done?" Theo said quietly, and it was obvious that this was an old argument. "And should I have said no?"

Her lips closed tightly to keep words from spilling out.

"Missed her," River whispered into the silence.

"That he did," Theo agreed. "He followed her quite quickly - within the year, in fact. And I was head and sole proprietor of the Hawkins Troupe. Still successful, still playing to full houses on all the inner planets, hardly ever venturing further than Ariel or Persephone."

"So what changed?" Mal asked.

"The war. As it changed so many things."

Mal nodded. "I'll agree with that."

"Suddenly we found many of our most famous productions were banned, from _Richard the Third _to _Serrault's Army_."

"Why?" Hank wanted to know.

"Stories about civil wars," Simon explained. "Rebellions, insurrections …"

"Exactly." Theo nodded. "And others were censored, cut to pieces … I couldn't stand for that. I took my ships, my company, and went further out."

"They let you?" Mal was surprised.

"Short of arresting us, I'm not sure how they could stop us. Of course, if I'd known what was going to happen, how our reputation would suffer …"

"You'd still have gone," Etta said.

He looked at her and sighed, long and hard. "Probably."

"And the rumours of you being a Browncoat sympathiser?" Mal sat back in his chair. "Any truth to them?"

"Captain, I baulk at any kind of restrictions, whether it be civil liberty or telling me what I can or cannot perform. And the reception we got on Independent-favoured worlds led me to believe that I was right."

"At one point the Alliance had a Federal warrant out for his arrest," Toby put in, his slightly accented voice putting him closer to Dayton Colony than Osiris.

"They thought I was a spy." Theo laughed. "Me."

"Really." Mal gazed at him.

"Captain, is this going to cause a problem? If so, I need to know now." Tension suddenly filled the cargo bay.

"A problem?"

"The warrant is no longer valid, and the Alliance have no current quarrel with me. They already made life as difficult for us as possible, not allowing the troupe to perform Core-wards, keeping us scraping a living. But if you have an issue with -"

"You know why my ship's called Serenity?" Mal interrupted, his toffee voice low.

"I … no."

Mal sat forward, smiling a little. "Serenity Valley. Last battle of the war. Zoe and me, we were soldiers on the ground. Wearing brown. My wife was another Independent, though she didn't get to Hera, on account of being blown up elsewhere. We none of us have any love for the Alliance, Theo. We fly below their radar as much as possible, but we've stuck a few thorns in their paws on occasion." The smile grew in warmth. "So you're welcome on my boat. You and yours."

For a moment it looked as if Theo was lost for words. But only for a moment. "Thank you, Captain Reynolds."

"It's Mal."

"Mal."

"But we still need to figure out what to do about your predicament. Like I said, if we could get to your other ship, Kaylee could probably fix her up, no problem. But if you're sure about doing your show on Carson's Moon -"

"I am. I have little left beyond my reputation, and if I have to start cancelling just because I don't have a full complement of actors then that …" Theo stopped and gazed at Serenity's crew each in turn.

"Mal, why's he looking at me like that?" Hank asked, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

"Ain't just you," Jayne said. "He's staring at all of us like he's planning to buy and trying to work out how much per pound to offer."

"We could double up." It was almost as if Theo was speaking to himself. "It's been done before. It's almost traditional. Titania and Oberon with Hippolyta and Theseus, Philostrate and Egeus, then the fairies could be reduced in number …" His eyes began to glaze.

"Theo." Etta's voice brought him back to earth. "You can't possibly be thinking what I think you're thinking."

He turned to her. "Why not? There'd be enough of us then. And we've got two days for rehearsals. Not word perfect, of course, but if it was just the minor roles -"

"Theo, what're you suggesting?" Mal asked, interrupting.

"Theo, you can't," Etta said, ignoring him. "You can't just drag these poor people into your plans."

"They said they wanted to help. And if it's the only way -"

"Theo." Mal's raised voice cut across them. "Are you suggesting we could take parts in this play of yours?" he asked, trying to get it clear in his head.

"If you could, there'd be enough. I could make a few cuts, take out some of the less important scenes, make it so that -"

"I can't learn lines. Ask the doc here. I'm crap at it." His mind was on the hospital scam on Ariel, and the time it had taken him just to learn that the patients were cyanotic, not cynical, and they were unable to resuscitate them, not that they kicked.

"He is," Simon agreed. "Really bad."

"Hell, I can do it," Jayne said, smirking, ignoring the look the young man gave him.

"You have any idea what you're saying yes to?" Hank asked, his eyes wide in surprise.

"It's just pretend. Been doing that all my life. What's the difference if you're all dressed up to do it?"

"Oh, if only you knew."

"You know, we're lucky. I think we've got enough women." Theo looked around. "Otherwise we'd have to go down that other traditional route."

"What?" Jayne asked, his brow drawn down.

"There's a great tradition of men performing the female parts," Theo said. "In Shakespeare's day, there were no actresses. All the greatest roles, such as Cleopatra, Desdemona, Juliet … they were all performed by men."

"Ya mean they dressed up?"

"Dressed up, wigs, make-up, the lot."

"And they weren't sly?"

"Well, some of them probably were, but it wasn't considered odd. All of Elizabethan theatre was the same."

"Something downright fishy about the whole thing," the big man muttered.

"Theo, stop," Etta said firmly. "We can't possibly expect these good people to agree to this crazy scheme of yours! Shakespeare isn't like learning the ingredients on a soup can!"

"Then they carry the text. It's been done, Etta. Bordrimo use to carry his script with him all the time -"

"He was eccentric. And a drunk."

"He was also very good, just as we are. And by Amity we'd have the wrinkles ironed out." He grabbed her hands, pulled them to his chest. "We can do this, Etta."

"They haven't said yes, yet."

He stopped, his enthusiasm dampened. "Ah."

"I'll help." Everyone looked around, surprised to see it was Hermione who had spoken up.

"Noni?" Mal looked at his ward. "What was that?"

"I'll help," she said again, a pale blush across her cheeks. "Reilly used to take us to the shows sometimes, on Mead. It was wonderful. I'd love to be in one."

"Child, bless you," Theo said, beaming at her.

"And me," Kaylee said. "Don't know how good I'll be, but sounds like fun." She nudged Simon.

"What?"

"You want to do it too, don't you?"

"Kaylee, I don't know -"

"You told me about when you were small. Doing that stuff with River, putting on plays …"

He paled slightly. "That was private, Kaylee."

"I'm already doing scenery," River put in. "And I can act."

"I want to help too," Bethany said quickly, not wanting to be left out.

"I think you'd make a delightful fairy," Theo said, and she preened a little.

"Me too," Ethan said from his chair next to his father. "I want to be a fairy."

"Whoa, now, hold on there," Mal said. "I ain't said yes to any of this yet."

"But you will, won't you?" Kaylee leaned forward, hope burning in her eyes. "Always wanted to wear those costumes, get dressed up … please?"

"It sounds like fun," Inara put in from further down the table.

"This is crazy," Mal said. "We ain't none of us actors, and I conjure we're gonna prove it if we go any further."

"So you ain't never pretended to be what you ain't?" Jayne pointed out.

"That's not the same." Mal glared at him but the mercenary was unrepentant.

"Mal," Freya said quietly, making him look at her. "It _does_ sound like fun." _And it would be good for Inara_, she added mentally. _Take her mind off Sam_.

_That ain't fair, Frey._

_Maybe not. But it's true_.

He pondered a moment, then looked back at Theo. "No-one takes part who doesn't want to, _dong mah_?"

Theo grinned wider than should have been possible. "Volunteers only," he agreed.

Mal looked around his crew, at the various expressions of excitement, trepidation and downright fear. "Well, looks like you've got yourself some actors," he said, and sighed as the table erupted.


	4. Chapter 4

_Act II cont - The Black_

"Jayne, if I cut you in half, would you have 'stupid' written all the way through?"

"What? Why?" The big man glared at Hank as they stood in the corner of the cargo bay behind a makeshift screen.

"It's your fault. You said it would be easy."

"You don't have to do it if'n you don't want to. Mal said."

"And Zoe said I had to." He tugged at the doublet he was trying on.

"You do everything Zoe says?"

Hank stared. "Did you just hear what you just said?"

Etta looked at them critically. "I'm going to have to let out the body on this one," she said, moving Jayne around so she could see the back of him. "But the length's right." She turned to Hank. "This one fits okay, but is too long in the arms."

"I can push 'em up," Hank offered, doing exactly that to the sleeves.

"They won't stay that way." Etta tutted under her breath. "Trouble is, Milo's built like an ape. His arms are longer than everyone else's."

"This his?" Hank looked down at himself.

"It's what he wears most often, yes." She smiled slightly. "Actors have habits they don't like to break. We believe they bring us good luck."

"Like carrying grenades," Jayne put in.

"I don't think she quite meant it like that," Hank said dryly.

"Same luck."

"At least Theo isn't insisting on the hose," Etta said quietly, studying Jayne's powerful thighs. "I'd never find any to fit you." She sighed. "Doesn't mean there's any less work to be done, though."

"Why don't you ask the doc?" Jayne suggested, trying to make more room inside the tight doublet by flexing his muscles. "He's pretty good at stitching."

"I don't think sewing up bullet holes and stab wounds is quite the same," Hank pointed out.

"Still a needle and thread."

Etta nodded slowly. "Even if he can only sew on a button, that might help."

"Anything to not have to learn lines," Hank added quietly.

"I'll go ask him." Jayne strode out from behind the screen, and came face to face with Mal in the centre of the bay. "Mal, what the _tyen shiao duh _…" He stammered to a halt, lost for words, at least for a moment.

"What?" Mal asked, turning, fabric flowing out from his hips.

"Looks like you're wearing a dress."

"You think?"

"My Ma had something like it once. Hated it on her, too."

"You're just jealous."

"Jealous? Of what?"

"Because you never get to wear one."

"You think I want to?"

Mal smoothed the fabric over his chest. "Thought I'd try out for one of the female roles. Like Theo said they used to have." He looked up. "Think it'll work?"

"I think Frey's gonna have words 'bout you in a skirt."

"Why? Just means I'm more ready for action with her."

Jayne actually blushed, just a little on the tips of his ears. "Mal, that ain't the kinda thing you oughtta be saying around people like this."

"People like what?" Mal stepped towards him, his eyebrows raised.

"Ya heard what Theo said. About some actors being sly …"

"You think it's catching?"

"Don't wanna find out."

Mal had backed him against one of the stacks of boxes. "Really?"

"You try'n kiss me, I'll …"

"You'll what, Jayne?" Mal asked, leaning towards him and pouting a little.

"I'll think of something."

"Sounds romantic." He tapped Jayne's shoulder coquettishly, and had to restrain from laughing as the big man pulled away as fast as possible.

"Captain, leave him alone. He's feeling fragile." River stepped into the bay. "And that colour suits you."

"You think?" Mal looked down at the blue material. "I wasn't sure whether to go with the brown."

"Goes with your eyes." She turned her own on Jayne. "And that isn't a dress," she said softly. "It's formal robes for the master of the revels."

"Come again?"

She took his hand and squeezed it. "You look nice," she said, attempting to change the subject.

He was about to say he felt like he should be parading down Whore's Alley, but was interrupted by the rest of the crew filing into the bay, shepherded inside by Theo.

"Ready?" he boomed, his usual bonhomie back in place.

"Not sure if that's the right word," Mal said, "but looks like we're all here."

"Good." Theo started handing out copies of the text he'd printed from the Cortex. "It's not all just dressing up," he said, smiling at everyone. "We do actually have to put on a play, and that's going to take work." He clapped his hands and his troupe appeared from various corners and behind props. "We'll act out what we can, and you can see how the play unfolds." He turned to his wife. "Etta, you'll have to read Hermia, as we don't have -"

"I'll do it," River said quickly.

Theo looked at her. "Are you sure?"

"'_And in the wood, where often you and I, upon faint primrose-beds, were wont to lie, emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet, there my Lysander and myself shall meet, and thence from Athens turn away our eyes to seek new friends and stranger companies_.'" Her voice carried into the superstructure, clear and word-perfect.

"How …" Theo stood amazed.

"I read it last night," River admitted. "I know it all."

A slow smile spread across Theo's face. "My dear, you are any manager's dream come true." He looked around his cast. "And now we're all met, I think it is time to begin."

With the dining table moved back, there was just enough space for a tiny stage, and Theo led Etta into the centre.

"'_Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on apace …_'" Theo as Theseus began.

Until a while later …

"'… _and each several chamber bless through this palace with sweet peace, ever shall in safety rest, and the owner of it blest. Trip away, make no stay: meet me all by break of day._'"

As Theo as Oberon's final words fell into silence, Kaylee couldn't help herself. She started to applaud, the others joining in in fits and starts, until the cargo bay was filled with the sound of clapping.

The actors moved forwards, variously bowing and curtseying, basking in the glow of adoration.

"Ah, an actor's ambrosia," Theo said, beaming. He turned to River, standing wide-eyed. "And you did magnificently, my dear. You have a natural talent." He took her hand and bowed over it.

River dropped in a deep curtsey. "Thank you, kind sir."

Simon, sitting with his arm around Kaylee, Bethany at his feet, couldn't help but smile widely. His sister, her abilities, being lauded by this man of the theatre.

Theo stood straight, turning to his audience. "There is a final speech, made by Puck, but as it stands I'm not sure who's going to play him. The boys could read in his lines, of course, and I've cut a number of the less integral speeches, but … it's an important part. I'm not sure anyone can actually double up -"

"Sir?" Hermione stood up. "Can I try?"

"The man said it was a him, Noni," Mal said quietly, one arm circling Freya's waist.

"I did," Theo agreed. "But Puck is a spirit, a sprite … and I've seen him played very successfully by girls." He looked at Hermione. "You'd like to try?"

"Yes, sir."

He put his large hand on her shoulder. "Then Puck you shall be. You'll have to study hard over the next two days, but we'll all help."

"Thank you." She blushed and sat down again next to Inara, who put her arm around her.

"Well done," she said, and Noni grinned, holding her script close to her chest.

"Can I be a fairy, Daddy?" Ethan said, looking up at his father from where he sat on the decking.

"Of course you can, young Master Reynolds," Theo said.

Ethan turned his blue eyes on the big man. "And Jesse?"

"And me?" Bethany put in.

"All the babes." Theo laughed. "Our forest is going to be full of sprites."

The little boy grinned and clapped his hands.

"Well," Theo said, smiling at everyone. "It appears we are all called to this place in good order. I suggest we take ten minutes to refresh ourselves, then I will tell you what parts you will have and we shall begin rehearsals in earnest." He looked at Mal. "If that's all right with you, captain."

"Long as my boat don't fall out the sky while you've got my mechanic enthralled, I conjure it'll be fine."

"Then to work!"

---

"They're what?" Janith lifted her head to stare into Mikel's eyes.

"Putting the Dream on. Theo's managed to persuade the captain of that ship and his crew to take part."

"You mean he's …" She stopped herself before she said too much, before she made it clear it wasn't Theo she was thinking of.

"I wish I was there. Theo may be a great man, but … this isn't likely to go well." Mikel couldn't help it - he laughed.

Janith pulled at the golden hairs on his chest. "That's not fair. I'm sure they're going to do their best. And it's not Theo's fault that Pol can't get Cressida back on line."

"Pol thinks it's deliberate." Mikel ran his hands through her long brown hair.

"What?"

"That someone's sabotaging us."

"That's ridiculous."

"I said that, but she kept going on about it being different systems all the time, and that they couldn't just go like that."

"But they patently are." She kissed his naked chest, just above his well-defined abs.

"She won't believe it."

"So does she think it's one of us?"

Mikel laughed again, his naked body vibrating under Janith's. "I said to her, what do we know about ships?"

"Quite right." She nipped his skin with her teeth, making him hiss with pleasure and forget the entire conversation as the blood fled his brain.

---

The next two days were filled with rehearsals in the cargo bay, sewing relays in the dining area, and the occasional streams of Chinese obscenities as lines were forgotten and cues missed.

At one point Mal encountered Zoe in the corridor outside the engine room.

"Hiding, sir?" she asked.

"Just keeping out of the way. You?"

"Absolutely."

"You know, it never occurred to me before, but there were times during the war that were actually preferable to this."

"I know what you mean, sir."

"Why'd I say yes to this?"

"Because you're a soft touch, sir."

"Really? I figured it was feminine wiles."

"That too."

"Mal, Theo wants to go over the opening again," Hank called up the stairs.

Mal looked at his first mate. "Next time I even consider saying yes to something like this, shoot me."

"No problem, sir."

And now it was almost time.

River put down her brush and surveyed the backdrop for the forest. She had let her imagination run riot, making it full of dark shadows and half-seen images, of centaurs and unicorns, wild men and masks.

"My dear, you are amazing," Theo said, standing back and staring during a break. "I would never have believed it could look so awe-inspiring."

"Too much?" she asked, her head on one side.

"No. Not at all. I always thought there should be something a little dangerous about it."

She smiled. "Then we're ready."

"You may be," Mal said, walking down the stairs from the bridge. "The rest of us feel like we're been dumped in the deep end with our hands tied."

"You'll be fine," Theo assured him.

"I need to wash," River said, looking at the multi-colours all over her hands.

"Well, stop by the infirmary on your way," Mal ordered. "Your brother said you haven't been to get your hormones checked the last couple of days."

"Been busy."

"Albatross, you know the deal. Hormones checked or locked in the shuttle. Your choice."

"_Kuh ooh duh lao bao jurn_," she muttered, then looked up guiltily, her face the image of her niece's.

"Don't care what you think of me," Mal said, successfully hiding a smile. "Infirmary."

"Yes sir, captain," River said, ripping off a smart salute then running out of the cargo bay.

Theo watched her go, then turned to the other man. "I haven't liked to ask before but … is that young lady pregnant?"

Mal nodded. "Yep. Her and Jayne've been an item for a while now."

"I'll let Dana know."

"Dana?"

Theo nodded. "Toby mentioned that she'd been talking about your man. Being very complimentary about him."

"Ah. Yeah, better let her know he's taken. River won't take kindly to someone trying to muscle in on her territory."

"The trouble is Dana tends not to listen. I wouldn't want the mother-to-be hurt in any way."

Mal smiled a little. "Theo, I'd put my money on River. Believe me."

"Mal, we're landing in five." Hank's voice echoed through the ship.

He crossed to the com. "Thanks, Hank. Got the right co-ordinates?"

"Exactly what Theo gave me."

"Shiny." Mal released the com switch and looked at Theo. "So, what's the plan?"

"I'll go and see Mr Carson while the boys set up. Toby will show you what to do, where to put things. There should be chairs ready for the audience that will need to be put out, but otherwise it's just going over your lines again."

Mal swallowed, feeling just a hint of nerves up his spine. "Glad I'm just reading it. You sure they won't mind?"

"My dear Captain, I've cut your lines as close to the bone as possible, and I know you're getting familiar with them. If you need to use the book, do, but no-one is going to complain. Not with the great Hawkins in the lead role."

"That how you see yourself?" Mal asked, smiling slightly.

"In here, on board your vessel, you are captain. But out there, on that stage, I am God." He turned, stalking away.

"He really feels like that, doesn't he?" Mal murmured.

Freya came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest. "I think he does."

"Is this going to work?"

"He thinks so."

Mal turned, holding her against him. "What about you?"

She smiled, snuggling as close as possible. "Have you seen the look on Hermione's face? And River's? They're adoring this. And as for Bethany in that little costume of hers …"

"Oh, I know they're having the time of their lives. But is it going to work?"

"It's theatre, Mal. As soon as the lights go down and the curtain rises, you'll see the magic."

"Ain't got a curtain."

"Just imagine we have."


	5. Chapter 5

_Act III - Carson's Moon_

Two o'clock, local time, and the great and the good, the high and the mighty, as well as the low and the lowest of Carson's Moon were congregated in the makeshift arena outside town. Serenity looked almost festive, with streamers attached to her cargo bay entrance as well as to her thrusters.

"She looks …" Mal fought to find the right word, and only found the wrong one.

"Don't say it," Freya warned, pulling Ethan's wings into place.

"Pretty," the little boy said, wriggling.

"Stand still." She adjusted them once more, then sighed as he wriggled again.

"Serenity looks pretty," he insisted.

"I think so too," his mother agreed, giving up and turning to making sure her own costume wasn't revealing more than nature intended.

"Looks like a tart's bedroom," Jayne said, coming down the stairs and trying to appear comfortable in his doublet.

"Jayne!" Kaylee said, bringing Bethany and Hope in from the lower crew quarters, all of them dressed in diaphanous outfits.

"Does," the big man muttered, unrepentant.

Bethany skipped forward. "I'm a fairy, Uncle Jayne," she said, turning around so he could see her wings, the twins of Ethan's. "Are you one as well?"

Jayne shook his head firmly. "Nope. I'm Snug."

"Snug?" The little girl made it sound like it was a sneeze.

"And a lion."

She grinned. "Heard you roaring."

Jayne shrugged. "Well, gotta practice."

"You know your words?" Mal asked, hitching his robes a little higher.

"More or less." The mercenary pulled his script out of his pocket, if the jumble of papers could be considered a script. "Kinda."

"Kinda?"

"Know my cues and the last words. Theo said that'd be enough."

Mal rolled his eyes.

"This is going to be fun," Zoe said dryly, sitting on the sofa, Ben on her lap, chewing happily at his plasticast teething ring.

"Hey, how'd you get out of it?" Jayne demanded. "Weren't you gonna be a fairy too?"

"I am," she said darkly. "Fairy Zoe."

"So you're gonna go on out there looking like that?" He waved his hand at her normal clothes.

"Someone has to look after things while you all have fun," she said, unable to hide the smirk.

"Still wanna know who you paid."

Hank sighed, pulling his doublet away from his neck. "Should by rights be me," he muttered, obviously repeating something he'd said before. "Being the pilot. Ready to fly us out of here in case of an emergency."

Jayne grinned. "You weren't kidding when you said she told you ya had to be in it, were you?"

"Would I lie to you?" Hank sighed dramatically. "Anyone seen my lantern?"

"It's in the cargo bay with the rest of the props," Freya said, then tried to take a deep breath. "Is it just me or is anyone else's heart palpitating?"

Simon stepped out of the infirmary, smiling. "Palpitations? Someone has palpitations? I'm ready to deal with any palpitations that may present themselves." He almost fell over his own feet but righted himself in time.

Mal glared at him. "What did you take?"

"What?"

"You heard. Half an hour ago you were ready to kill to get out of this, and now you're … you're high."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am –"

"Boys." Freya's voice cut across them. She stood up. "Simon, what have you done?"

"Just taken a smoother."

"How much?"

He giggled, then covered his mouth with his hand. "Maybe too much."

Freya sighed heavily. "Come on. We'd better see if we can't counteract it." She led him back into the medical bay.

"That's not fair," Hank moaned. "I wanted some too."

Zoe patted his hand.

"Where's River?" Kaylee asked, watching as Freya injected her husband with something.

"Out with the act-ors," Jayne said, making the last word sound like two.

"Too good for the likes of us?" Hank asked.

"Probably." Jayne shrugged. "Hell, won't be difficult."

"And Noni?" Mal asked. "I haven't seen her since breakfast."

"Don't," Hank said quickly. "If you even mention food I might throw up. Right here. Right now."

"She was hidden away with Etta," Inara said, coming around the corner from her room, her gown billowing softly around her. "Finishing off her costume. I imagine she's waiting with the rest of them."

"Wow." Kaylee's eyes were huge. "That don't look like one of these outfits." She smoothed her dress.

"It isn't. It's one of mine. Theo said I could be a lady in waiting."

"Seems like it ain't what you know, but who you know," Mal grumbled.

Simon and Freya stepped out of the infirmary, the former slightly more in control of himself. "Sorry," he said. "I think I got the dosage wrong."

Mal laughed, breaking the slight tension. "Doc, if I'd thought to do it first, believe me, I would."

Etta put her head around the doorway. "Ready?"

"No," Mal said, straightening up. "But I guess … actually, no, I was right. We ain't."

"That's a shame. Because we've got two minutes to go and you're in the first scene."

"_Cao_," Mal muttered, losing all colour to his face and swallowing hard.

"Mal!" Freya admonished, swatting him on the arm.

---

Some ninety minutes later …

"How could he forget?"

"I said my lines!"

"Yeah, but not in the right order."

"Didn't matter. And no-one noticed."

"We nearly didn't get Pyramus' death scene because of you!"

"Hell, so?"

"That's the whole … Jayne, you got anything between your ears at all?"

The big man turned on Hank. "You forgot your lantern. Had to go back inside for it. Held us all up."

"Toby covered." The pilot was turning puce.

"Yeah. Lucky for you."

"Fiddler did his part better'n you, and he pissed up the lantern!"

"Got the biggest gorram laugh, though, didn't he?"

The two men squared up to each other, and it could all have ended in tears and teeth, except River glided between them.

"No fighting. Have another show to do here tonight. Can't have Snug and Starveling appearing with black eyes."

"Wouldn't be me with a –"

"Jayne."

He looked down at her, the determination on her face. "Gorram it," he muttered.

She nodded and smiled at him, then headed up the stairs towards their shuttle.

"It was fine," Theo boomed, following the actors and crew back into the cargo bay. "First night is always the trickiest. And everyone enjoyed themselves."

"I did," Bethany said, bouncing up and down. "I got my words right."

"That you did," Kaylee said, lifting her up to sit her on her hip. "Right pretty, too."

"Everyone was excellent, and we'll be even better later."

"Later?" Mal stood up from where he was leaning on the wall. "God, do we really have to do this again?"

"Captain, you should be proud of yourselves. I am." There was true sincerity in the older man's voice, and admiration on his face. "I … we all have to thank you."

"Well, I enjoyed it," Simon said, wiping his hands over his face.

"You're still slightly high," Inara pointed out.

"Not sure I care."

"I thought you were marvellous," Dana oozed, moving close to Jayne. "You really scared me when you roared."

"Well, I think we all need to rest, eat and prepare for our second performance," Theo said quickly, stepping between them and taking the young woman's arm. He glanced at Mal, who nodded slightly.

---

"Gorram it," Polka said, wriggling out from under the console. "That shouldn't have gone again. I don't know what the hell's wrong with it this time."

Mikel sighed. "So you're saying we're not going to make it to Amity either?"

"Can't see that happening. Not unless a miracle happens. If we're lucky we'll be on Borodin for the big performance, but … that's about as much as I can promise."

The young man looked up at the woman standing in the doorway to the bridge. "Sorry, Janith. Looks like your big chance is going to have to wait a day or two more."

Janith smiled. "That's okay. I know how these things go. Perhaps I can help you, Pol."

Polka shook her head. "I doubt it. It'd need someone really clued up on ships to be able to help me. I feel like I'm just winging it as it is."

"Well, if you want me to try, let me know." She turned back into the body of the craft, a smile on her face.

---

By the time of the second performance, the sun had almost set, and the staging area was softly backlit by the glow of the Firefly's engine. Kaylee had rigged other illumination, but there was something other-worldly about the setting now, and River's backdrop seemed to come alive as the slight breeze moved the canvas, making the fantastical creatures appear to move amongst the painted trees.

This time the audience sat hushed, expectant, many of them old hands who'd seen the afternoon performance and had come back again, dragging husbands, wives and kids. There was an air of tension, a readiness to suspend disbelief for the next couple of hours.

As Freya said to Mal as he prepared to set into the soft pool of light, "See? I told you there was magic."

And Frey was right, Zoe decided, watching the play from the corner of the cargo bay. She saw Theo play not just Theseus, Duke of Athens, but take on the role of Oberon and make it his own. She had never thought to see a more unlikely king of the fairies, but he made his girth regal, giving Oberon a gravity she had not imagined.

Even the crew were inspired. Mal played his two roles with an assurance as if he'd been doing it all his life. River was bewitching, and Noni a revelation as Puck, all mischievousness and quick footed. Jayne roared, Hank handled his lantern with aplomb, and Simon was the most stately wall ever to appear on Carson's Moon.

But it was the fairies, with the babes dressed in gossamer with tiny wings on their backs that made her eyes mist, and clap with the rest of the audience as they made their way off-stage.

Finally, the applause still ringing in their ears, the entire cast filed silent back into the cargo bay and Kaylee dimmed the lights outside, leaving only the Firefly's glow to show the audience their exit.

Theo looked at his extended troupe, standing in twos or threes, still overwhelmed by the experience.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "It may never be as good again, but that was magnificent. There was truly magic abroad tonight."

"And it ain't even midsummer," Mal concurred.

"If I may I'd like to put some of the other scenes back in," Theo went on quietly. "Work on them on the way to Amity."

"I've a notion we can talk on that tomorrow," Mal said. "I think we all need to grab some food and shut-eye right now."


	6. Chapter 6

_Act II cont – Carson's Moon_

Most everyone found it difficult to drift off that night. Words and pictures were tumbling through almost every mind, and the overflow made Freya wakeful until she eventually gave in. She turned over in bed, poked Mal in the side and said, "I need something to help me sleep."

"Mnffgng?"

She leaned over his ear. "I need something to help me sleep."

Her husband pried open one eye. "So you woke me up to tell me?"

"I thought you might be a gentleman and get it for me."

"Whatever gave you the impression there were gentlemen on this boat?"

She sighed and pushed the covers back. "Looks like I was sadly mistaken."

He put his arm across her, keeping her from getting up. "How come you can't sleep anyway?" he asked, lifting himself onto his other elbow and peering at her.

"Too many dreams."

His face softened, and he smiled. "And you decided to share that nugget of information with a man who was actually enjoying some himself?"

"Thought I'd be generous."

"Thanks." He could feel her pulse under his hand by her breast. "So what do you want?"

"Ibenofin. 10ccs." She smiled. "Think you can manage that?"

"Hey, did I say I was going? Just asked what you wanted."

The smile froze. "Fine. I'll get it –"

He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. "No. I will. Might take me one or two goes to get it right, but … anything for the woman I love." He slid out of bed, grabbing his pants and tugging them on, barely doing up enough buttons to make sure they didn't slide off his hips. "But if I find you've dozed off when I get back, I'll be mightily peeved," he added, climbing the ladder in his bare feet. Her laughter followed him into the corridor.

He didn't dawdle, the metal decking being somewhat chill this time of night with the EC turned down. Hurrying through the darkened galley and down the stairs he realised the lights were on in the infirmary, and a figure he recognised was lurking inside.

"Jayne? You doing something I ought to be worried about?" he asked, stepping into the blue room and feeling even colder.

The big man, clad only in a pair of shorts, grunted and pulled a bottle of pills from inside a cupboard. "River couldn't sleep. Sent me down for something." He glanced over his shoulder. "You too?"

"Frey."

"Yeah. All these goings-on ain't likely to be conducive to resting well."

"Conducive?" Mal smiled. "I think you've been spending far too much time hanging around Theo. Or maybe Dana."

Jayne shook two tablets from the bottle into the palm of his hand. "Dana?"

"Don't act so innocent. I'm fair sure you've seen how she's been looking at you."

"Can't stop someone looking." He paused for a microsecond. "Well, you can, but it's messy. I mean, there's total removal of –"

"Nice try."

"Huh?"

"At changing the subject." Mal leaned on the medbed and crossed his arms. "Come on. You must've noticed."

"Hey, I'm human," Jayne blustered a little. "Sure I noticed. Bit hard not to when she's trying to hang on your arm."

"I thought Theo was going to have a word with her."

"Figure he did, but she ain't listening."

"Jayne, you know what'll happen if River notices."

The big man slumped a little. "She already has."

"Oh?"

"Asked me about it tonight. One of the reason I ain't asleep either."

Mal felt his lips twitch. "And?"

"And what?"

"What did you say? I mean, I figured Dana was just your type."

"My type?"

"Female and breathing."

Jayne looked disgusted. "Mal, you know I ain't gone with no-one since River worked on me. Don't ever intend to, neither."

"That's a big undertaking, Jayne."

"S'what happens when you love someone."

Now Mal did smile. "Yeah, I worked that one out myself too."

Jayne sighed. "Aw, Mal, I ain't gonna do anything. River's too important to me to mess it up."

"That doesn't mean Dana isn't going to try. And you know what hormones can do."

"Yeah. I do." He looked down ruefully at the tablets he still held. "Don't have to worry about me, Mal. And I'll try and keep an eye on moonbrain."

"See that you do. I don't think Theo'd be very pleased if he found he was missing an actress, and the outer bay doors just happened to be open."

Jayne chuckled. "Might be worth seeing, but no. Prob'ly not." He stood straight. "Better get these to River 'fore they melt."

"Better had." Mal watched the big man stalk out of the infirmary, then busied himself getting Freya's drug of choice. The smile still played about his lips: he really hoped she hadn't gone to sleep, since he was pretty sure she'd love to hear about that little conversation.

---

Janith slid the plans she'd drawn out from the bottom of her underwear drawer. She'd made sure everyone was occupied, even Mikel, and locked her door, but she still listened for a moment before unfolding the sheets. Finally she was happy, and laid them flat on her bed. A slim finger traced the power lines and water pipes into the Bose estate, and she was pretty sure they were accurate. Her memory had always been good, and she'd trained it over the years to be able to call things to mind from just a single glance.

It had always come in handy, none more so than for her current venture. Being able to remember lines, moves, even the dance routines Rolly had insisted on putting into one of their repertory plays, made her cover seem like a breeze. And of course just playing the part was very gratifying, when no-one had any idea who she really was.

She ran her hand through her hair, slightly abstracted as she stared at the sewer system. Not a nice way in or out, but if necessary she'd do it. There'd been times she'd been up to her ears in crud, although it wasn't her most favourite position. She smiled. That was on top, smiling like the cat who'd eaten the whole aviary and not just the canary. Now, if only he'd play the birdie in question …

---

_Act III – The Black (Part II)_

By ten the next morning they were out of atmo and heading for Amity, a little less than thirty hours distant. Theo was as good as his word and had most of them in the cargo bay rehearsing the extra scenes.

Most, because Jayne was in the galley, grabbing some late breakfast. Someone had left a pot of oatmeal on a low heat, and he stirred it well before spooning some into a bowl and adding sweetener.

"I think you're sweet enough," Dana said from the doorway, looking at him with her head on one side.

"Ain't interested," Jayne said roughly, leaning on the counter and eating.

"Now, that's not nice," she accused, pouting.

"Sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I'm taken." He didn't sound sorry at all.

"So I understand. Theo told me. By River." She smiled and walked towards him.

"Yep. Got that right."

"But she's a girl." Dana smiled, standing close to him and putting her hand on his arm, feeling his muscles. "Strong man like you needs a real woman. Someone who won't break when you touch her."

"Figuring you don't know River," Jayne said around a mouthful of food.

"And you don't know me." She bounced a little and hitched herself onto the counter. She began to swing her legs, her skirt getting higher with every kick. "I tend to get what I want."

"I ain't for sale." He went to move past her but she put her legs out straight, effectively trapping him.

"No?"

Jayne looked down at their length, their shapeliness, the small butterfly tattooed on her ankle, and for just a single moment felt the flash of temptation. Then he shook his head. "Nope. Got me a woman and believe me when I say I don't wanna handle any more than that. Thanks for the offer, and all, but you ain't what I need."

"Are you sure about that?" She rubbed one foot up his thigh towards his crotch.

He put his bowl down and took hold of her ankles, moving them to one side. "Pretty much."

She slid to the ground and pressed her body against him, close enough so that she knew he could feel her heat through their clothes. "When you change your mind I'll be waiting in my room."

"Girl, you ever hear when someone says no?"

"Not when they mean yes."

Jayne stared at her then laughed. "Well, hear it now. I'm saying no, Dana. Not interested." He grabbed the last spoonful of oatmeal and thrust it into his mouth. "Gotta go," he said, slightly indistinctly. "Got work to do." He strode out of the kitchen towards the cargo bay.

Dana sighed, twisting her red hair on her finger, not hearing the light footsteps coming from the other doorway.

"Leave him alone," River said softly.

The actress turned quickly, finding the young woman standing very close. "As far as I'm concerned there's no wedding ring on his finger, so he's fair game."

"You don't know …" River sighed. "You can't."

Dana stared at her, narrowing her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Darkness. Taking advantage. Can't see the wood for the trees, won't see the danger until it's too late."

"Are you threatening me?" Dana asked, almost laughing.

"Why threaten when you can promise?"

For a very long moment Dana just stared, then asked, "Are you totally crazy?"

"Mostly," River admitted. "But who isn't, these days? And you won't have him."

"Sweetie, why don't we just see who wins?"

"I will."

"Dana," Etta called, her voice projecting through Serenity. "Rehearsals. Now."

"Time to be wonderful," Dana said, and flounced out of the galley.

River stood for a moment, chewing on her lip, then followed, her mind well ahead of herself.

"Nice of you to grace us with your presence," Toby said, leaning back on a crate, managing to look relaxed as he glanced up at Dana coming through the top doorway. "Although I'm sure you think your interpretation of Helena is so perfect you don't need to rehearse like the rest of us."

She scowled at him, the look marring her natural beauty, as she headed down the stairs. "Why don't you go and -"

"Dana," Theo said commandingly. "Behave."

"I didn't start it," she insisted. "Toby did."

"Well, I'm finishing it."

"That just isn't –" She'd almost reached the bottom of the stairs when she seemed to falter, her foot stumbling on the step, and she pitched forward. She tried to regain her balance, but came down heavily on her left foot, and everyone in the bay heard the crack. She screamed and fell to the floor. Immediately Mal and Simon moved forward, Freya and Zoe only a step behind, while Theo and his troupe were still in shock.

"Doc," Mal said.

Simon nodded and went down onto his knees, beginning to examine the affected limb. "Sit still," he ordered, somewhat unnecessarily, as Dana showed no signs of trying to move.

Theo had regained use of his body and voice. "Oh, my. Dana, dear, are you all right?"

"Apparently not," she said, tears forming in her eyes, then yelled, very loudly.

"It's broken," Simon said, rolling his jaw to try and alleviate the ringing in his ears. "I'll need to set it, but … sorry, Dana, you won't be doing anything much for the next few days."

"But I have …" She took a sharp breath as pain shot up her leg. "Have to work."

"Seems to me the doc said that ain't gonna happen," Mal put in.

"Mal, can you help me?" Simon said, getting his shoulder under Dana's left arm.

"Sure."

Between then they carried the young woman into the infirmary, Theo and Etta fussing as they went.

"But what happened?" he was asking. "I don't believe you could just –"

"I don't know," Dana admitted, biting her lip against the pain. "I just … I don't know. It hurts."

As they put her onto the medbed, Simon quickly reached for an analgesic.

Freya hadn't followed all the others into the common area, but stood looking up at the top catwalk. River was standing there, gazing down. She caught the other woman's eye, an odd look on her face, then turned and hurried into her shuttle.

Freya ran up the stairs two at a time. "River." She ducked through the hatchway.

The young psychic turned innocent eyes on her. "Yes, Freya?"

"What did you do?"

"What did I do to whom?"

"To Dana."

River shrugged. "Nothing. I wasn't even there."

"River, don't lie to me. You know it doesn't work."

The young woman paused a moment, as if holding an internal debate, then said, "She was trying to make Jayne want her."

"That's no excuse for hurting her!"

"She did that to herself."

"Then why are you …" Freya's eyes darkened a little. "What did you do?"

River looked down at her bare feet. "I might have …" Her voice trailed into nothing.

"What, River?"

River's head came up, and the innocence had gone, replaced by bare defiance. "I suggested she might like to lose her balance."

"Suggested." Freya took a deep breath, trying to control the anger building up inside her. "You don't do that."

"She was after Jayne!"

"I don't care." Freya shook her head. "River, what we have, what we can do … there's responsibility with that. I know I don't always follow the rules myself, but … you could have killed her."

"It was only a couple of steps." Her brows raised a little. "I didn't actually expect her to break anything."

"Why, z_i nu_? If you were that worried, why didn't you just talk to Jayne?"

"I did. He laughed. Said he wasn't interested in her."

"Then why didn't you believe him?"

"Because he's a man!" Suddenly tears were pouring down River's face. "She was throwing herself at him … did you know she cornered him in the kitchen? Just now?"

"No, I didn't. Did he respond?"

"No!"

"Then why did you?"

River didn't answer immediately, just dropped onto the bed, her hair falling down around her face. "I don't know!" she wailed.

Freya could feel the sorrow and anguish pouring off her, and sat down next to her. "River." There was no response, just more crying. "River." She took her hand, holding it tightly even when the young woman tried to pull it away. "Control it, River. I know it's hard, and I know you wouldn't have done this if you weren't pregnant."

"Might."

"No. You wouldn't. Not any more. Maybe before, before you grew up, but now … no. It's the pregnancy."

River sniffed and looked up. "I … there was just something telling me to …"

"Your baby?"

"No. I don't think so. There's no conscious thought, not yet."

"Then it was the imp."

"The imp?" River looked confused.

"The imp on your shoulder. I have one. Mal does, and so does Jayne. We all do. It tells us to be bad, to take that one extra step we know damn well we shouldn't, whispering in our ear that it won't matter, not this once."

River was nodding. "Yes. Like that."

"You don't have to listen. That's the whole point of control. To be the one who decides."

"Not the imp."

"Exactly."

River sighed and laid her head in Freya's lap. "I'm sorry."

"Not me you should be apologising to."

The girl froze. "You think I should?"

"Honestly, no. Dana won't understand, and neither would Theo or any of the others. They'd just be afraid of us, and that wouldn't help you at all. Just … don't do it again."

"I won't." She paused for a moment then suddenly giggled.

"What?"

"Theo. He's an actor short. To play Helena."

"Well, yes, but …" Freya's eyes widened. "No."

"I think he's heading this way."

"No, River, I'm not going to –"

"Mrs Reynolds, could I have a word?" Theo boomed from the doorway to the shuttle.


	7. Chapter 7

_Act III cont – The Black_

Mal stepped onto the bridge, glancing around. Empty. She had to be hiding somewhere, but he'd searched most of her usual places, and he was starting to get … not worried, but maybe a little concerned. Theo had come back from his conversation with her to announce she'd told him, in no uncertain terms, where he could go, and what he could do with himself when he got there. He'd asked Mal to have a word, and he'd agreed. Which would be fine, if only he could find her. He'd almost got to the point of asking River is she knew where his wife was, but figured that would look like he'd lost her. Nowhere near the truth, of course. She was just … mislaid.

He exhaled heavily – not a sigh, he told himself. He'd been doing too much of that lately, he realised, so it was definitely just an exhalation of breath. Possibly with meaning.

Turning on his heel, he was about to check their bunk once more when he heard a slight sound behind him.

He raised an eyebrow and stepped quietly to the steps leading down into the small avionics bay under the bridge window. Knowing he was going to feel foolish if he was wrong, but aware no-one else would see him being that way, he called out, "Frey, I know you're down there. You wanna tell me what you're doing?"

For a long moment there was no sound at all, and he began to wonder if he'd actually imagined it, then there was a small noise of someone moving a little.

"No," she said finally.

"No … what? You ain't gonna tell me, or you ain't down there? 'Cause if you're someplace else you're doing a damn good job of throwing your voice."

"Someplace else."

He smiled and leaned over the opening. "That sounds like something River'd say."

"Maybe it's her down here, and not me."

"Not you?"

"_Cao_."

"Really. And here's me with Ethan and Jesse listening to you swear like that."

In a moment Freya's head popped into view, then she glared at him. "They're not here."

He looked around, feigning surprise. "You know, I conjure you might be right."

"_Hwoon dahn_."

"Now is that a nice way to talk?"

"It could be worse," she threatened darkly, then dropped back into the semi-darkness.

He lowered himself down, sitting on the step so he could look at her. "You wanna tell me why you're here? And I don't mean that in a philosophical sense, before you start. I mean, in my avionics bay, now."

She looked up from rearranging herself on the blanket covering the small amount of floor space. "I don't want to be Helena."

"Fine. Tell Theo."

"I did."

"Oh, yeah, that's right." Mal tried not to smile. "Guess he didn't listen."

"He's like you."

"Ouch. That's wounding." He moved a step further down. "Why don't you?"

"Because I'll make a fool of myself."

"So what else is new?"

She thumped him on the thigh and he winced in earnest. "I don't want to. Why isn't that enough?"

"You were a fairy. You're being promoted."

"Fairies don't get –"

"Then just think of it as … as an upgrade."

"Mal –"

He pulled her towards him so her head rested against his leg and began to stroke her hair. "You'd be shiny."

"No, I wouldn't." She relaxed a little as she always did when he touched her. Well, not always. "Why can't Inara do it? She was a lady in waiting. She even has the clothes and everything."

"Well, there's one damn good reason. She ain't as good as you."

Freya looked up. "You can't mean that. She was a Companion, trained in ways to make … well, trained to fake it."

"She told you that?"

"She can act, Mal."

"Well, not as good as you."

"That's not true."

"It is. And that's what Theo said too." Mal finally let his lips curve. "Frey, honey, Helena's an important part. A big part." He felt her shudder against him, but carried on regardless. "You saw how River handled her role – she needs someone just as good to play against."

"But I'm not –"

"Yes, you are." His hand paused at the nape of her neck. "I know you can do this, _ai ren_."

She sighed, and he wasn't in the slightest disposed to consider it just exhaling. "I don't … It's just, in front of all those people –"

"Do you know it?" He moved his forefinger just behind her ear. "The words. You know 'em?"

Freya's eyes were closing. "I … yes, I suppose so," she agreed reluctantly.

"All of it?" He was now playing with her earlobe, and there was a sound almost like a purr coming from her throat.

"All … all of it," she stammered. "Even the … the cut scenes … gorram it, Mal."

"Want me to stop?"

"No."

"Good." He pulled her a little closer. "Frey, you'll be great. And I'll be so proud of you. Not that I ain't anyway, but … even more so."

"That's not fair." She swallowed, then leaned fully back against him. "I hold to my original opinion of you."

Mal laughed. "Don't mind. But I'd kinda like to know how come you're hiding out down here? Rather than your usual perch." He was referring to the maintenance platform high in the superstructure of the cargo bay, accessible only by a series of ladders, where he'd found her more than once before.

"I can still hear them from up there." She smiled. "You know, it looks like someone else had the same idea as me. This blanket was hidden in the corner, and there's a few other bits and pieces."

"Just so long as it wasn't Hank and Zoe," Mal said, pushing his hand down inside her shirt, feeling the soft swell of her breast above her bra.

"You mean …" She glanced down at the blanket, and he almost laughed at the disgusted look on her face.

"Don't think there's enough room in here for that, _xin gan_," he said, adding quickly, "Not that I've ever tried."

"So all this …" She nodded down at his hand still cupping her. "… was just a way of getting me to agree to playing Helena?"

"Can't say I recall you agreeing to anything yet." He squeezed gently and was rewarded by a sharp intake of breath. "But I still intend to follow through."

"Really?" She was concentrating on what his fingers were doing. "Where?"

"My boat, as I recall saying once or twice. My bridge. And I can lock the door."

"Is this bribery?"

"Possibly corruption." He began to massage. "So, what's the answer?"

Her breath hitching in her throat, she sighed again, this time with pleasure. "Go and lock the damn door."

---

"What did you say to her, Captain?" Theo asked, his stage whisper filling the cargo bay.

"I … appealed to her better instincts." Mal hid the grin that threatened to erupt.

"I think you probably did more than that," Etta said, her own voice little more than a breath. "She looks … satisfied."

Mal didn't blush. Not quite. "Etta, she ain't the only one."

Theo roared with laughter.

---

_Act IV – Amity_

Theo had been right – the two performances on Amity were good, but didn't have the magic of the evening on Carson's Moon. Perhaps it was due to the setting, in an open area dead centre between three factories, or maybe it was the fact that it rained most of the time, but it was just a play. Still, everyone seemed to enjoy it, even the audience.

"Traditional," Theo said, wiping his face with a towel after the second show. "In Shakespeare's day all performances were outdoors, rain or shine." He looked at Kaylee. "And thank you, my dear, for at least attempting to put up an awning for us."

She smiled. "Worked a bit."

"More than a bit. At least _we're_ not soaked through."

"And it's stopped raining." Jayne tugged off his doublet, dropping it onto the table. "Mal, Toby and me are going into town. Get a couple of drinks. You wanna come?"

"Aren't you tired?"

"Nah." The big man ran his hand down his goatee. "Just need some space. And River's okay with it."

"Jayne, you're getting henpecked."

"Ain't."

"Besides, I'm not sure there's time. I wanted to be away from here soon as everything was packed up, and –"

Theo interrupted. "It would be better if we could wait until morning, captain. Give everything the chance to air off before closing up." He shook his head. "We did this once before, and within a couple of days found we had to throw away half the props because they'd gone mouldy."

"Besides, I feel like a drink," Simon put in, hanging up his own costume before glaring at Jayne and doing the same with his.

"Me too," Hank added.

Jayne glared at them all. "Don't recall inviting you."

"Then we'll just happen to be in the same bar." Hank slapped Jayne on the back. "You can pretend you don't know us."

"We'll come," Victor and George added together, twins to the last. "You can sit with us. And we know Riley'll join us."

Chiang shook his head. "Not me. I'm for my bed."

"Wimp," George said good-naturedly.

"And who's gonna wait up for you?" Mal asked, crossing his arms, then realised it didn't have quite the same impact when he was wearing what was essentially a dress. "If we have to leave the door open for a while I don't want anyone just deciding to come and see if there's anything worth snatching -"

"I will," Kaylee said brightly. "Got me some sewing to do anyway, seeing as Bethany's torn her outfit again." She laughed and explained, "Keeps catching her wings in things."

"You sure, _mei-mei_?"

"I'll keep her company," Zoe offered.

"I'll sit up too," Inara put in.

Jayne gazed at each one of them in turn. "You know they're gonna be talking 'bout us, don't you,?" he said to Mal.

"They always do, Jayne."

"So … you got any objection? To us finding a bar?"

"Guess not. Just don't come back drunk. Or get bound. I'm not paying to get you out of jail."

Jayne grinned. "Like I would." He ran up the stairs and hurried into the shuttle to change.

Ten minutes later and the unlikeliest collection of men headed into the darkness.

Theo watched them as the cold pinpoints of stars started to shine through the diminishing cloud. "Won't River mind?" he asked, glancing at Mal.

"River? Why should she?"

"It's just … well, what with Jayne and Toby getting on so well –"

"Yeah. Odd, that."

"Not really. I think Toby's past is perhaps more shady than he lets on. But that's not what I mean."

"Then what –"

"I meant what with River being jealous of Dana."

Mal shook his head. "Sorry, still don't …" He stopped. "You mean Toby's …"

"Sly. I thought you realised."

"Uh, well, no. Not that it makes any odds to me, but … no, had no idea."

"He usually keeps to the occasional lover off ship, but …" Theo shrugged, his large frame making it very expressive. "I just thought River might get jealous of him too."

Mal laughed. "Theo, I don't think you need to worry about that." His humour died away a little. "Though, if Toby does try anything Jayne's liable to get more'n a little annoyed."

Etta came up to them, putting her hand on her husband's arm. "Why don't you both go for a drink? Then you can keep an eye on them."

"My dear, I'm too old to go crawling bars," Theo pointed out.

"I wasn't suggesting any actual crawling. Just … make sure they come back in one piece."

Theo looked at Mal, who raised his eyebrows thoughtfully.

"Suppose we could," Serenity's captain said. "And we wouldn't exactly be drinking much, since we'd be working."

"It would only be right."

Mal glanced at Freya, who put up her hands. "You do what you want. I _was_ going to suggest an early night, but … go. Have fun."

"We won't be late."

"You already are," she pointed out, but had to smile ruefully as Mal and Theo hurried out after the others like a couple of young boys out on a dare.

"Theo won't let anything happen to them," Etta said, putting her arm around Freya's shoulders. "He treats them all like they're his children, and I'm sure he'll extend the same to your crew."

"I suppose."

Etta studied her, noting the little worry lines between her brows. "You know, I'm thirsty. Why don't I make us some tea?"

At the table Kaylee looked up. "Did I hear tea mentioned? 'Cause I've got some cookies hidden away that'd go down real well with something hot." She put her sewing down. "Have to keep 'em hidden or else Jayne eats 'em."

"I think I might have some chocolates left," Zoe added. "From when Hank bought me that fancy box for my birthday. Hidden pretty much for the same reason."

Inara stood up. "That sounds like a really good idea. Let me give you a hand."

Etta clapped her hands. "Good. Then we can sit down and talk. And you can tell me all about your adventures."

Kaylee groaned. "How long have you got?" she asked, and Freya chuckled.


	8. Chapter 8

_Act IV cont – Amity_

Freya stayed in the cargo bay while Etta and Inara made tea, Kaylee scampered off to find her cookies, and Zoe went for chocolate. She sat in one of the chairs and gazed out into the darkness, wondering, but not peeking, as to what Mal was actually doing. A noise above her had her looking up towards shuttle two.

"You gonna join us?" she asked, seeing River standing on the catwalk, dressed only in a slip of a nightgown.

The young woman shook her head. "Feeling sick."

Freya immediately stood up. "You need Simon? I can get him if –"

"Nausea caused by rising levels of human chorionic gonadotropin and fluctuating estrogen," River explained, then looked very sorry for herself. "Only was supposed to be in the morning."

Freya couldn't help laughing, and relaxed a little. "Honey, you know what happened to me. Morning, noon, middle of the night … ask Mal. He remembers."

"Simon can't help." She sighed.

"I'm sure there's something –"

"No." River shook her head. "I won't take it anyway. In case it upsets my control. Or him." She glanced down at her as yet still-flat belly.

"Him?"

"Or her. Better than it."

"I know."

"But I won't take anything that might harm."

Freya understood. "Worrisome, isn't it? Thinking about the baby, keeping him safe, not knowing the best way to … That's what being a mother is all about."

"Does it ever stop?"

"Not that I'm aware. Mal thinks he's likely to lock Jesse up until she's at least thirty, and Ethan's not going to be much better."

River finally smiled. "Jayne thinks the same. Not said, but he worries."

"You know, I get the feeling he's going to be a good father. And I don't say that lightly."

"He'll be good," River agreed, then put her hand over her mouth, going a little pale. "I have to …" she mumbled, then turned on her heel and ran back into the shuttle.

"That River?" Kaylee asked, heading out of the common area. "She okay?"

"Morning sickness."

The young mechanic sighed. "Hated that. Men don't know how lucky they are, do they?" She glanced up at the shuttle. "Can we do anything?"

"Not right now. I think she just wants to be left alone."

"You know, Jayne shouldn't've gone off like that." She put the cookie tin down on the table. "Knowing she was feeling like that."

"I doubt he knew." Zoe walked down the stairs towards them. "I never told Hank."

"Felt like it was giving in, huh?" Kaylee nodded, then chuckled. "Know how you feel. Simon's a great doctor n'all, but seeing him all flustered 'cause I was throwing up was just painful. Even if he was good at holding my hair back."

Etta and Inara appeared, carrying the rest of the refreshments.

"He didn't," Inara was saying, trying hard not to drop the cups in her amusement.

"He did." Etta laughed. "For three days. I didn't know where to look."

"Look where?" Kaylee asked.

"I was just telling Inara how Theo courted me. I'll tell you, you've never lived until you've had an actor take a shine to you. They know all sorts of tricks …"

Inara burst into laughter again, then clamped her mouth closed. "Sorry."

"I think we need to know more about this," Zoe said firmly.

"Can I …" Hermione spoke from the doorway to the common area. "Is it alright if I join you?"

Freya crossed the bay to her. "Can't sleep?"

"No. And I heard voices."

"Sorry. Didn't mean to keep you awake."

Noni smiled. "You didn't. Bethany's got Hope and Ben in with her, and she's telling them a story. With appropriate noises."

"Loud noises?"

"I think it's about dinosaurs."

Freya put her arm around the girl's shoulders. "Then I think it's most appropriate that you join the adults." She grinned.

-

It wasn't difficult to find the rest of the crew. There were only a few bars within easy walking distance, and Mal and Theo got it right the third time. Inside low music filtered through the smoky air, and there was the hum of conversation, punctuated by the clicking of pool balls.

Mal took a deep, appreciative breath, and resisted the urge to cough. No matter the number of places he'd been in his long and somewhat eventful life, there was something about a good honest bar that soothed his soul.

"Drink?" Theo asked, seeing the smile settle on the other man's face.

"Don't want to seem out of place. Just one, though."

"Of course." Theo pushed through to the bar, his bulk moving anyone out of the way, while Mal turned to survey the others.

Simon and Hank were sitting at a table with Victor and Riley, and from the empty jugs in front of them had obviously been managing their time well. Someone had found a pack of cards and they were currently engaged in a game with a couple of other men. As he watched Hank put down his hand and smiled broadly, dragging a small pile of coins towards him.

Mal shook his head slightly. That man had gotten into trouble before playing cards. He looked around for the others, and saw George coming out of a door in the corner, doing up his pants. Then a triumphant and familiar "Ha!" had him turn.

Jayne appeared to have solved the problem of not wanting the others to accompany him by the simple expedient of ignoring them. He was playing pool with Toby against a couple of factory workers, and the sound he'd made was to emphasise his last ball disappearing into a pocket.

"Double or nothing," Mal heard one of the workers say.

"Do you play, captain?" Theo asked, having come up behind him with two brimming glasses.

"I've been known to pick up a cue once in a while. You?"

"Have to do something when I'm not working."

"Shall we?"

"My pleasure."

-

"Oh, I remember seeing that!" Kaylee said, her eyes bright. "Almost made me wanna be a Companion. I'd never've made it, a'course, being born on Phoros, but they all looked so glamorous."

"It's got nothing to do with where you're born, _mei-mei_," Inara said. "The Guild take on girls from rim worlds as well as the Core, although I admit not as many."

Kaylee laughed. "I'm better off with grease under my nails."

Inara hugged her. "So are we."

"That's why I wanted to become a Companion," Freya admitted. "Seeing the Procession on the Cortex. My mother said I wore it out, watching it over and over. Then I wore out her and my father with nagging."

"I'm sure that's why they still show it every year," Inara said. "The Procession of Companions has persuaded more girls to apply than almost anything else." She snorted slightly. "I always thought it was like parading in a meat market."

"'Nara!" Kaylee was almost shocked.

"Well, there we were, newly lifted to the exalted ranks of Companions, and we had to walk the streets. No wonder people like Mal thought of us as whores. At that point, we were probably little more than that."

Freya couldn't help smiling a little. "You've certainly changed your tune since you left."

"No. Not really. But maybe I suppressed things."

"Sam get you to open up?"

A darkness crossed Inara's face. "In a way. He let me talk about it a lot."

"I didn't mean to … Sorry, Inara."

"What for? He's the idiot, not me. I didn't make him leave."

There was a pause, then Kaylee asked, "So who was your favourite?"

"Kaylee," Zoe admonished, but the lighter tone had come back. "You don't ask questions like that."

"Hell, I do." She grinned. "So?"

-

Mal watched Theo take him apart. It was lucky they weren't playing for money, otherwise the actor might have ended up owning the clothes off his back.

Theo stood up, grinning. "Another?"

"Where'd you learn to play like that?"

"Captain, places like this have always attracted people like me. Actors. And you have to do something when you're resting."

"Resting?"

"Out of work." Theo laughed. "I'm sure you know the feeling."

"Well, certainly seem to spend a lot of time in places like this, waiting for a contact, or just … yeah, resting." He leaned his cue up against the table. "But I think that makes it my round. And rack 'em up again."

"With pleasure."

Mal smiled and walked towards the bar. Finally attracting the barkeep's attention, he ordered another two beers, then turned to look into the room. Jayne and Toby had given up on the pool and gone back to the table, pushing in amongst the others to sit down. Another pile of coin had appeared in the centre of the table, and was getting bigger.

He heard the clunk of glasses on the bar top behind him, and twisted enough to pick them up. At least everyone looked happy.

-

"She was only ten. Nothing anyone could do, not where we were." Etta looked down at her clasped hands. "Never goes, though, you know? That hurt when you think of them."

There was silence for a long time, as each thought of those lost to them.

Then Kaylee coughed. "This is making me wanna cry, and I don't want to. Want to laugh, tell jokes, hell, even sing."

"Sing?" Zoe raised one eyebrow. "You're going to be on your own there."

"I've heard you sing. You sound nice."

"Nice?"

"Okay, loud. But it was good."

"Guess I was drunk."

"Maybe."

"Mal sings," Freya said unexpectedly. "While he's changing Jesse. He did it for Ethan too."

"What does he sing?" Noni asked, stifling a yawn.

"Something his momma used to use to get him to sleep."

"I get the feeling you show your appreciation when he does that," Etta put in, smiling again.

"Maybe. Once in a while."

"Oh, Etta, you wanna talk 'bout folks being loud? There are times when even I -" Kaylee couldn't go on as Freya had covered her mouth with her hand.

-

"… and fifteen takes the pot!" Hank said, the grin on his face as wide as the sky.

"Gorram it," Jayne muttered, tossing down his cards.

The pilot gathered the coins towards him.

"Hold hard, there," one of their opponents said. "That ain't right."

-

"I'll get married when I want. When I'm ready," Zoe insisted.

"But I love weddings," Kaylee said. "Getting dressed up, then the party after."

"You just had one of those," Inara pointed out.

"Yeah. But I prefer it without the shooting beforehand."

"So shooting after is allowed?"

"You know what I mean!"

-

"What?" Hank looked up. "What ain't right?"

"You winning."

"You saw the hands. You lost. Someone has to win, and that was me."

"Don't agree with that."

"You lost," Jayne growled. "Get over it."

"Don't want to," the man said, alcohol fuelling his grievance. "I say it ain't right."

-

"I didn't think I was ever going to love someone again. I just want to take it slow."

"But you've got Ben, and -"

"Kaylee." Inara put a hand on her friend's arm.

The mechanic stopped. "Sorry."

"Don't be. And there will be a wedding, I promise." Zoe smiled.

"Could be a double, couldn't it?" Kaylee turned to Freya. "I mean, with River and … Frey?"

-

The fight started without warning, the table overturned and cards flying. Mal turned quickly, ascertaining it was his crew at the centre, and hurried forwards. A chair across his shoulders pushed him to the floor, and suddenly he was under a pile of folks.

-

Freya stood up, facing the darkness outside.

-

Jayne roared and charged forward, taking out the man who'd accused Hank with a single punch to the jaw. Then someone grabbed him from behind, pinning his arms to his sides as another hit him in the belly.

-

"What is it?" Zoe asked, joining her.


	9. Chapter 9

_Act IV cont – Amity_

Simon dragged Mal out from under the pile, narrowly avoiding a fist aimed at his head. "I think we should leave," he said loudly.

"Couldn't agree more." Mal kicked someone in the crotch, who fell away, holding the affected area and keening. "Get the others." He sidestepped a couple pummelling each other on the floor, coming up behind Jayne but staying out of arm's length. "We're going," he shouted above the noise.

"Aw, hell, Mal," the big man said, grabbing two heads and banging them together, dropping the resultant bodies like ragdolls. "It's just a fight."

"And they're passengers. Come on, get them and let's get out." Mal elbowed a man trying to pull him around and felt cartilage burst in his nose.

"Mal …"

"Just do it!"

-

"Guns?" Zoe suggested.

Freya shook her head slightly. "I don't know …"

River came out onto the catwalk above them, quiet as a ghost.

-

Simon ducked as a bottle was swung at his head, getting in two jabs to the belly that caused his assailant to drop the improvised weapon, gasping for air. Stepping back he felt rather than saw someone fall forwards, onto the bottle, and heard the crack of broken glass. He winced, reaching down to turn the injured man over, but someone grabbed him and pulled him backwards off his feet.

-

Kaylee stared out into the black. "Someone hurt?" she asked.

-

"Thought you promised Zoe you wouldn't gamble," Mal said, pulling a man intent on throttling him off his pilot.

"She ain't here!" Hank wheezed.

"So it …" Mal paused, throwing an uppercut that could have shattered teeth. "So it only counts when she's around?"

"I wasn't cheating!" Hank ducked a chair.

"People don't seem to believe you." Someone hit him a glancing blow to the side, and he kicked back, hearing a howl.

"Don't I look honest?" He noted a coin on the floor and bent down, thus avoiding a body thrown into the bar.

Mal grabbed him. "Hank. It's time to leave."

-

"Frey, if they need help –" Zoe began, turning to go and get her weapon.

The other woman grabbed her arm. "No. I don't think …" She shook her head.

River suddenly laughed, and most of the women turned to look up at her in surprise. "Jayne's winning."

-

The big man laid into the men trying to stamp on Simon with the remains of a table, grinning broadly.

"Doc, gotta go," he said, grabbing him by the shirt front and hauling him upright.

"Thanks," Simon muttered, letting Jayne clear a path through the melee. He almost collided with Mal and Hank in the doorway as they too made their escape. "What about the actors –"

Mal stopped, staring. Theo and the others were already outside in the cool air.

"How'd you –" Mal began. "No, don't bother."

"Practice," Theo said succinctly.

"Come on. Better get back to Serenity 'fore some fool calls the local Feds."

-

"Are they okay?" Inara asked, her hand to her chest.

"At the moment," Freya said darkly. "Can't they, just once, go for a drink and not get into a fight?"

Zoe chuckled. "Our men? You think that's likely?"

-

"They're gonna kill us, aren't they?" Hank said, his words slurring a little from the punch in the mouth he took. He ran his tongue around his teeth, checking they were all still there.

"Probably," Simon agreed.

"Can't we lie? Say we fell over? A lot?"

"I somehow think they're not likely to believe us."

"No. I think you're probably right." Hank sighed. "And I wasn't cheating. Don't have to."

"Hank, I think you need to learn to lose once in a while."

"Nope," the pilot said, shaking his head. "Not going to gamble again. Promised Zoe. And I mean it."

Simon raised an eyebrow at him.

Ahead of them, Mal was walking with Theo. "Sorry about that," he said.

"Not your fault." Theo smiled. "I haven't been in a good fight for a long time. Glad to know I haven't lost my touch." He blew on his bruised knuckles. "Not that Etta's going to be very pleased."

"Oh, I think that's the least of our worries." Mal nodded towards the bright light washing out of Serenity's cargo bay. "The very least."

Freya stood at the top of the ramp, her hands on her hips.

"We have returned," Jayne said, grinning widely, his arm wrapped around Toby's shoulders as they appeared out of the darkness.

"Bruised, bloodied but unbowed," the young man added, his accent even more pronounced.

Jayne nodded. "Upheld the honour of Serenity." He staggered a little as they made their way up the ramp, but recovered gamely.

Freya waved her hand in front of her as they drew level. "You smell like you've been rolling in alcohol."

"Prob'ly have," Jayne admitted. "Someone threw a jug or two. Was a fight." He grinned up at River but was met by an icy stare.

"I know," Freya said.

Mal stepped towards her. "Not much of a one, in case you were worrying. Just an honest brawl."

"I thought you went with them so this didn't happen?"

"It really wasn't much, Frey." He came further into the light and she could see the collar of his shirt was torn.

She reached up to pluck at it. "It was enough." Then she noticed the trickle of blood from the cut on his forehead. "Oh, Mal."

"It's just a scratch." Still, he didn't mind her hand resting on his cheek.

"Thought you were a goner," Jayne put in, leaning over the table and snagging one of the remaining cookies. "Seeing that chair come down on ya like that."

"Hey, they're not yours!" Kaylee said indignantly, grabbing the tin and putting the lid back on.

"Always knew you kept a secret stash," the big man mumbled over a full mouth. "Just couldn't ever find it."

She glared at him.

"Chair?" Freya asked pointedly.

"The infirmary's not big enough for everyone," Simon said quickly before another fight broke out. "If you all wait out here, I'll bring my kit." He hurried out.

"Sure thing, doc," Mal said, looking around.

"I'm fine," Hank said, wiping his mouth.

"You're not." Zoe lifted his chin. "And how did this start, anyway?"

Hank shrugged as best he could. "Damned if I know."

Zoe's eyes narrowed but she didn't comment.

Simon was soon back with his bag, a pack of swabs and some distilled water. "Here," he said, holding out some swabs and the bottle. "Clean up what you can and I'll take a look at the rest." He looked around. "You first, Jayne."

"Why me?"

"Because you've got the beginnings of a wonderful black eye."

"Spoils of war, doc."

"I can take it down, but it would be quicker if I could find some leeches."

"Leeches?" Jayne took a step back.

"They're still the best method of reducing the excess blood."

"You ain't putting them things on me. Walked through a river once, had them. Came out with 'em all over me. And I mean all over." He shuddered. "No way."

"Well, since I don't actually have any in stock, and since I don't think Mal's going to give me time to go searching the local ponds, I have the feeling your sensibilities aren't going to be damaged."

Jayne glared at him. "You're trying to use long words on me. Thinking I'll just turn tail and run. Ain't gonna happen, doc."

Simon sighed. "Just sit down. I'll take you all in turn."

"And who's gonna see to your injuries?" Mal asked. "You're favouring your side, and that suggests someone might've hit you."

The young man touched his ribs and winced. "A knee, I think. And I'll deal with it later." He saw a flash of concern cross Kaylee's face.

"Nope, that's not the way it's gonna be," Mal said firmly. "You get seen to first, then you deal with us. Not having you pass out while you're stitching me up."

"You don't need stitches."

"Good to know, but you're still getting dealt with first. Jump on up." He patted the table and grinned.

Simon paled. "I'm not having you poking around my –"

Mal laughed. "Simon, I got by without a medic on my boat for a while before you arrived. I can run a scanner over you, see if you've busted anything."

"I haven't."

"Let me be the judge. Just for once."

Freya crossed her arms. "Simon, let him. He likes to play with toys once in a while."

It looked as if he was going to argue, but finally the young doctor hitched himself up onto the table top. "Warm your hands," he ordered, pulling his shirt out from his pants.

-

"Hank, you fit enough to fly?" Mal said finally after his crew and the actors had been seen to.

"Sure."

"Then get us gone. I don't think anyone called the Feds, but I'd rather be out of atmo before anyone grows a brain. And it's not like we were hiding. Not playing parts like we were. I conjure people might know who we are."

"I am sorry, Captain," Theo said as Hank headed for the bridge. "We honestly didn't want anyone to get hurt."

Mal smiled a little, feeling the tug of the weave on his forehead. "Yeah, well, no-one did. Not really. But I think our next performance is gonna be enhanced by some rainbow bruises."

"I'll get out the make-up." He waved his hands in a brushing motion, and most of his actors exited the cargo bay towards their rooms. Etta put her arm around his waist and they followed.

"Make-up?" Jayne grimaced. "Rather have the leeches."

"That can be arranged," Simon said, picking up his bag.

"You leave that," Kaylee ordered. "You're going to take a hot shower and then you're going to bed. You've done enough for tonight."

"Don't worry," Inara added. "I'll clean up." She started to gather up the used medical supplies.

"Thanks." Simon followed his wife back towards their quarters, Noni trailing after them.

"The rest of you'd better get to bed too," Mal ordered. "Zoe, take your other half off the bridge soon as he gets us on course to Whitefall. I can –"

"No, you can't," Freya said firmly. "The autopilot can handle this. You're for your bunk."

He raised an eyebrow. "You ordering me around?"

"Yes." She stepped closer. "And I think, just for tonight, you're going to let me."

A smile curved his lips. "Think I might at that." He took her hand and they walked up the stairs together, Zoe laughing quietly to herself and following them. A moment later Serenity juddered as Hank got them off the ground.

Jayne sighed deeply, scratching his chest. "Guess that means me too," he said, looking up at River on the catwalk, then stopped as she turned around and walked into the shuttle, closing the door firmly behind her. "Or maybe not."

Toby chuckled. "She locking you out?"

"Doesn't like me fighting when she can't join in," Jayne explained. "It don't matter. I'll sleep in the common area. Done it before."

"You could always join me."

Inara, still collecting used swabs, held her breath.

Jayne looked at the young man. "Join you?"

"In my bunk."

The air seemed to shimmer with tension, and Inara began to wonder if she shouldn't call Mal back, in case there was bloodshed. Then Jayne laughed. "Toby, you just ain't my type."

"Are you sure?" He put his hand on the mercenary's arm.

Inara bit her lip, waiting for Jayne to erupt.

Instead he just shook his head. "Yep, sure. My type's up there in that shuttle. Even if she has thrown me out tonight."

Toby smiled. "Well, if you change your mind, my door will be open." He patted Jayne's bicep then headed for his bed.

Inara released the breath she'd been holding. "Jayne, why …"

The big man twisted his head a little to look at Inara. "You thought I was gonna kill him?"

"I wondered. What you said to Mal. When he was wearing that costume."

"Ain't the same, 'Nara. I know Mal. What he's like. Idea that he might …" He shuddered a little. "'Sides, Toby'll be getting off soon, Mal won't. Can't have the Cap thinking I'm gonna fall into bed with him whenever he likes."

"I somehow don't think that's occurred to him."

Jayne stretched, and grunted a little as a few aches made themselves known. "He didn't mean it, either."

"No, I suppose not." Inara studied him. "We were afraid River might get … jealous."

"Ain't nothing to get that way about."

"In her condition –"

"You mean like she did over Dana?"

"We were … worried."

Jayne leaned on the table. "'Nara, she didn't have to be with Dana. Even less with Toby. He's a good guy – I like him. He ain't so fey as the rest of 'em, no matter how he gets his kicks. But I ain't like that. Ain't never liked a man in that fashion."

"I know." She shook her head, smiling. "Jayne, you never fail to amaze me."

"Kinda the point, don't you think?" He stood straight. "I'm going to sleep. If you see River, and she's changed her mind, tell her where I am."

"Of course." She watched as Jayne strolled through towards the common area, and considered that people really could be surprising.

Nineteen minutes later, as the ship settled down, and speeding the crew through the black on their way to Whitefall, Jayne felt a slim hand curl around his. He opened his eyes to see River standing like a wraith in front of him, her pale skin accentuated by the dark hair falling around her face. She pulled lightly, and he got to his feet.

"Jayne."

"River."

"No more fighting when I'm not there."

"Didn't exactly plan on it."

"Promise."

"I'll try."

"Shiny." Her lips curved sweetly. "Bed?"

"Sure." He grinned, picking her up easily and holding her to his chest as he carried her back to their shuttle.

---

"Got it!" Polka shouted, almost emulating her name and dancing for joy.

"Got what, Pol?" Mikel stuck his head through the bridge doorway.

"All systems are up and running!"

"That's great! Are we going to make Whitefall?"

Polka shook her head. "Not this time. But Borodin, for sure." She sighed, collapsing back into the pilot's chair. "Thank God for that. I thought I was going to have to give up."

"You?" Mikel smiled, ruffling her short hair. "Never."

"Sweet talker." She turned in the seat and looked at him. "Better go tell Janith, hadn't you?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. In a minute."

"Come on, Mike. We know. We all know. It's not as if you keep it quiet."

He blushed. "It's just … it's fun."

"You take care with her," Polka said, standing up and looking into his eyes. "There's something about Janith I don't trust."

"She's fine!" Mikel insisted. "And she cares about me."

"Maybe. Just … I don't want you to get hurt." She touched his cheek, then pushed at his shoulder. "Go on, get out of here. I need to get us moving."

"I'm going, I'm going." Mikel paused in the doorway. "You know, I think she might be the one." He smiled and disappeared.

"Hope not," Polka said to herself. "Really and truly hope not."


	10. Chapter 10

_Act V – Whitefall_

"Whitefall."

"Mmn."

"Maybe she won't be there."

"You think?"

"No, sir."

"The fact that she hasn't shot me the last coupla times we dealt just makes me all kinds of nervous. Feels like it's overdue somehow."

"I'd've thought she'd be too busy laughing, sir."

"You know, the septic vat ain't been emptied this week. And with more people on board –"

"I'm sure she'll be appreciating the fine performance too much, sir."

"Better."

Mal looked out at the stars and the large moon getting larger. "Shouldn't your fiancé be up here?"

Zoe shrugged a little. "He's putting Ben down for his nap."

"Only I could land, but I figure why have a monkey and dance yourself."

"I'm sure he's going to be thrilled you think that much of him."

"I could still order you to be a fairy, you know." There was a longish pause as the moon got closer. "And he ain't up here in two seconds I'm not sure our passengers'll be too happy getting splattered all over the –"

"I'm here, I'm here," Hank said, running up the steps and sliding into the pilot's chair. He flipped a couple of switches and adjusted their trajectory by a degree. "Oddly enough, I can't be in two places at once."

"Your place is up here," Mal said firmly.

"Just 'cause you're worried about what Patience is gonna say about you being in a dress –"

"Land my damn boat," Mal ordered, and stalked off the bridge.

"He's in a mood, ain't he?" Hank smiled up at Zoe.

"We've tended to steer clear of Whitefall, or haven't you noticed?"

He reached out and ran his hand over her backside. "I've noticed a lot of things."

"And I'm not sure I've forgiven you for breaking your word."

Hank started guiltily. "My word?"

"You told me you wouldn't gamble."

"Not really gambling, though. Not when I win."

"And then get beaten up." She shook her head at him. "How are we supposed to get married if you get yourself killed?"

Suddenly he felt a surge of anger. "Married? You won't even name the damn day!"

She didn't respond for a moment, just stood looking at him. Eventually he turned his head, unable to take her stare.

"Does anyone know where … oh, sorry, am I interrupting?" Simon was leaning in the doorway.

"No," Hank said, sitting up and beginning the landing sequence. "Not interrupting at all."

"Who were you looking for?" Zoe asked.

"Kaylee."

"Not in the engine room?"

"I looked."

"Sorry, then, but no."

"Okay." Simon looked at the pair of them, felt the tension, and decided he didn't want to be a part of this. Whatever it was. "Are we landing?"

"About ten minutes," Hank said, turning Serenity's attitude so that her belly faced down into the atmosphere.

"Good. I'll … I think I'll go look for Kaylee … elsewhere." The young doctor backed away.

The colour outside the windows went from black to red.

"Does it worry you that much?" Zoe asked softly, looking at but not seeing the flames of re-entry.

"Yes." Hank didn't as much as glance at her, but knew she was very still.

"Why?"

He tilted the Firefly just a little more. "You might leave me."

"If we're married I might anyway."

His jaw tightened. "More incentive to stay." The yoke trembled under his hands, but his grip was firm.

"I won't leave you."

"You say that, but …" He clamped his mouth shut.

"But what? I might die?" When he didn't answer she knew she was right. "Marrying you won't stop that happening."

"No, but you'd … you'd be my wife."

"I am already." She put her hand on his shoulder, feeling the muscles taut beneath her fingers. "A piece of paper doesn't make it more right."

"I know it's right, Zoe. Feel it in my bones. But I … I want you to wear my ring, like Frey wears Mal's."

"You want to tie me down."

This time he glanced at her, and she was astonished at the fire in his eyes. "I love you. Ain't trying to change you. But half the time I'm scared that something I've done's going to piss you off so bad, and then I'd …"

"You have so little faith in me?"

"No. In myself." Serenity tipped to port, and it took a moment for the artificial gravity to catch up. Zoe tightened her grip on Hank's shoulder to keep her balance. He could feel the turbulence easing up, at least outside.

"We have a child, Hank."

"And you could take him away with you, and I'd never see either of you again." He didn't want to talk, not like this, not get all his insecurities out for her to see laid bare.

She didn't speak for a moment, not until the sky had turned blue and they were dropping through air, not space. "River says she'll marry Jayne before the baby's born," she said thoughtfully. "It can be a double wedding."

He turned to stare at her, open-mouthed, and the Firefly twisted out of his grip. Frantically grabbing the yoke again, he brought her back under control. Swallowing hard, he maintained their heading even as he spoke. "You mean that?"

"How often do I say something I don't?" She felt him relax a little.

"So … could be soon?"

"Perhaps. There's a few months yet, but … do you want me to tell River?"

Hank finally grinned. "Long as I can tell Jayne. See the look on his face."

"He might hit you."

"Nah. He's a lot mellower now. Ain't you noticed?"

"Not to speak of."

"Are you _trying_ to kill us all?" Mal said, his voice angry as he came back up the steps.

"Sorry, Cap," Hank said, flashing him an apologetic look. "Don't know what came over me."

"No?" Mal shook his head. "I've got a pretty good idea." He looked at his first mate. "Next time we come in to land, try not to excite him."

"Me, sir?"

"You. Or I'll find a new pilot."

Zoe smiled, a slow and lazy grin that lit her face. "I doubt that, sir." She walked past him off the bridge.

He stared at her retreating form, his eyebrows drawn down. "What the hell was that all about?" he asked.

"Wouldn't know, Mal." Hank exhaled. "So. Patience's place?"

Mal shuddered slightly. "Yeah. Patience's place."

---

The old lady's compound was impressive, even from the air, consisting of a number of long, low buildings radiating from a central courtyard, surrounded at some distance by a high palisade.

"She's done pretty well for herself," Mal muttered as Hank brought Serenity in to land inside the walls.

"Going out to say hello?" Freya asked, having joined her husband.

"Tell Simon to make sure the infirmary's ready." Mal straightened his shoulders. "If I'm not back in time for supper, send out a search party."

Freya's lips twitched. "'Kay."

Mal stalked off the bridge and down the stairs, feeling Serenity touch down with barely a jar. Not looking forward to this, he considered. Not at all. As he reached the controls for the cargo bay doors, he could feel Freya standing on the top catwalk looking down at him, ready if he needed her, but didn't look up. He was captain. Better yet, he'd faced hundreds, probably thousands of Alliance soldiers. One woman getting towards her dotage shouldn't faze him. He took a deep breath and punched the button.

The dry air of Whitefall spilled inside as the ramp lowered, and he walked out into the strong light.

"Patience."

"Mal."

The old woman surveyed him, her grey hair around her head like a cloud, a dozen of her men in the background. "Can't believe you're still breathing."

"Not for lack of people trying to make it otherwise." He gestured towards her 'boys'.

She nodded in understanding. "And toting around a load of actors." She barked a laugh. "That was a surprise, I can tell you, hearing it was you."

"Oh, it get's better," Mal muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just wondering who's gonna be coming to see the play."

"Most everyone." She sucked her teeth. "Had a lot of flyers printed up, just for the occasion. Not often we get a real live performance put on."

"As opposed to a dead one?"

Patience chuckled again. "Always did have a wit about you, Mal. 'Nother reason I always wanted to put a bullet into you."

"Did that often enough."

"Always the next time."

"Well, I'd be grateful if it wasn't this time. Got work to do."

"Mmn." She watched as Freya exited the Firefly. "She okay now?" she asked, her tone dropped to little more than a whisper.

Mal could feel his wife coming up behind him. "Shiny. Thanks."

"Good." Patience straightened up. "So … you gonna be in the audience with the rest of us?" she asked, her voice back to normal.

Mal sighed. "Not quite."

Coming up behind her husband and Patience Freya was surprised to hear the old woman burst into a roar of laughter.

---

"What's that?" Mikel asked, looking into Janith's cabin at the array of small tools laid out on her bed.

"Don't you ever knock?" she asked angrily, throwing a blanket over the top.

"I thought we'd gotten past that."

"No, we haven't!"

"Why are you angry?" he said, stepping inside.

"Because this is my room, and I didn't invite you inside!" She stood up, her eyes blazing.

He recoiled. "I … Janith, what's wrong?"

Realising she'd made something of a tactical error, she pushed the fury down, making her face soften, using all her skills and abilities to change the atmosphere from tension to seduction. "Mikel, I'm sorry, sweetie. I just … sometimes I need some time to myself. It's nothing you've done. But I'm a woman, and I have to be allowed a little space occasionally."

The lines on his forehead smoothed out. "No, I'm sorry, Jan."

She grimaced internally at the contraction. "Besides," she added, stepping closer to him, letting her own personal pheromones work on him, "I have secrets. Doesn't that make me more … interesting?"

Mikel took a deep breath, then another. He started to smile. "Can I learn any of them?"

"My secrets? Maybe." She put her hand on his chest, feeling his heart rate beginning to increase. "But not here. Why don't we go to your cabin? It's further away from everyone else, and we won't be disturbed."

He swallowed. "Sure." Reaching up, he touched her cheek. "You're amazing."

"You don't know the half of it." She took his hand and led him outside into the corridor, locking her door firmly.


	11. Chapter 11

_Act V cont – Whitefall _

"Mal, you leave these folks to get ready and come and talk to me."

"Talk?" Mal looked at Patience, at the air of fragility she had managed to convey to Theo when they said hello and shook hands.

"Humour an old lady."

"Last time that happened I had to have the bullet removed."

"Captain, we can cope fine," Theo said, slapping him on the back. "I'm sure you have business to discuss."

"Do we?"

"Maybe," Patience admitted. "And even if we don't, I have a fine old whisky you might like to try."

"Hmmn."

"Go take your ease," Theo said, grinning. "You are captain, after all."

"Funny how my crew don't seem to get that idea," Mal muttered.

Which was how come he ended up sitting in Patience's parlour on a chair stuffed with horsehair and covered in some shiny fabric, hoping he wasn't going to slide off and end up on the floor, minus his dignity. He'd taken in his surroundings at a glance, then looked again in surprise, rapidly revising his view of her. Every single surface was covered in ornaments, and the woman seemed to have a penchant for china dogs. He could feel at least twenty pairs of hard glazed eyes were staring at him pityingly.

Patience herself poured two healthy measure of whisky, handing one to Mal. "Don't worry. Ain't poisoned," she said, seeing the look on his face. "If I wanted to kill you I'd prefer to shoot you."

"Good to know." Still, he waited until after she'd taken a mouthful before sipping from his own.

"Course, I could'a put something bad around the rim. Just to make you uncomfortable." She cackled a little as he stared at the glass. "Didn't, so don't get all uppity."

"Shiny. And just so long as you ain't planning on getting me drunk, either. I'll work for you, but my body belongs to another."

"Don't like you that much. In fact, damn sure I don't like you at all."

"Also good to know." He slid back on the chair until he rested against the high cushion. "Like to get things on a straight footing."

She sat down herself, looking at him in a speculative fashion. "Yeah," she said, sipping her drink.

Mal felt more than a little uncomfortable, as if he was being appraised, and filled the gap in conversation. "I was somewhat surprised to find you invited this troupe to play, though."

"Think I ain't sophisticated enough?"

"Pretty much."

"Mal, you ain't much of a judge of character, but this time you're almost right." She narrowed her eyes a little. "Truth is, I've heard about Hawkins. And what I heard made me curious."

"In what particular aspect?"

"Oh, his past. There've been tales told."

"Patience, you're gonna have to be clearer on this."

"He supported independence."

"That I know. He told me himself."

"Only there's rumours he was a spy."

"Rumours. That's all."

"He tell you that?"

"He did."

"Hmm." The old woman paused again.

"Patience, you got a problem, then you'd better spill it. He's here to put on a play for you, that's all. What's all this about his past that's got you all bothered?"

"Not bothered. And there's nothing I got that he'd be interested in." She smiled a little. "But I wanted to see whether what they said was true. Though I find it hard to conjure that man being able to do anything quietly."

"That's kinda the point, isn't it? Being a spy? Not actually looking like one."

"Guess maybe you're right." She sipped. "Still, was made me curious when he contacted us."

"He called you?" Mal was surprised. "I thought you'd –"

"Me? Make the first move to a pansy-ass outfit like that?"

"That's … odd."

"So he didn't tell you?"

"Led me to believe otherwise, that's for sure."

"That's the thing about folks, Mal. Say one thing and mean another."

"Yeah." Mal made a mental note to have a little chat with Theo. "So what did he say?"

"Oh, just that they were out this way on a little tour, and did we want to be included. I was gonna say no, then …"

"You remembered the rumours."

"Mmn."

He put on what Freya had once called his 'dumb-shit hick' face. "Patience, you know, I'm grateful for your concern over my well-being, but I have a notion Theo Hawkins is just an actor. Whatever he used to do, well, we're none of us the same as we were."

"Not worried about you. Just interested, is all." She finished her glass and put it down on the small carved wooden table by her hand. "You taking cargo?"

Back to business, Mal thought, and sat forward. "Depends. How big?"

"Crate. Just needs to get to Greenleaf."

He shook his head slowly. "Might not be going by for a while. You might like to get someone else, take a more direct route."

"It's nothing that can spoil. Just some toys, trinkets and stuff."

"Who for?"

"My son. For his kids and that shrew of a wife of his."

Mal raised his eyebrows, wondering what her daughter-in-law could possibly be like if Patience thought her a shrew. "Didn't know you had a boy."

"Thought no-one'd take a gander at me long enough to get my drawers down?" She laughed, somewhat gratingly. "Told you you were no judge of character. I was quite a looker in my day."

"That's … nice." He tried hard not to imagine this dried up crone in the throes of ecstasy, but couldn't quite manage it. Barely able to control the shudder that tried to run through his frame, he stood up. "Mind if I take a look in the crate? Just to make sure there's nothing else that might get us chased by the Alliance."

Patience shrugged. "If you need. Don't make no difference to me." She got to her feet and crossed to the desk by the window. "Usual rate?"

"Didn't know there was one."

"There is. Though I'm figuring you still owe me."

"What for?" he asked automatically, but he knew what she was talking about. She'd been the one to tell him where Freya was after Xavier Wing finished with her.

"Maybe I'll collect on that another day," she responded, smiling. Taking a grey metal box from the drawer, she counted a handful of coin into a leather pouch and tossed it to him. "When you get to Greenleaf, leave it at the port manager's office. It's all labelled – he'll know what to do with it."

"Sure." He pocketed the bag. "Get it to Serenity and we'll take it on board."

"Don't go thinking this makes us friends, though, Mal," Patience warned. "You cross me and I'll still shoot ya. Or even if you just look at me funny."

"I'm taking that as a given."

"Good." She went back to appraising him.

"What?"

"Not sure. Figure you've changed."

"Changed? How?"

"Not sure of that either. Just … different. Can't say you're smarter, 'cause you ain't, but maybe more … cautious."

"Permaybehaps it's 'cause I got me a wife and two kids, Patience. Does things to a man. Makes him … mellower."

"Nope, that ain't it. Not at all." She grinned suddenly. "Maybe you're just getting older."

"Happens to the best of us." Mal turned towards the door. "You gonna pay him, Patience?" he asked, almost as an afterthought. "Theo, I mean. Given your views on handing over cash."

"I did consider not," the old woman admitted. "But if you give me a good show, I'll stick to my end of the bargain."

"It's Shakespeare, you know."

"I read some, more'n once," she said, surprising him. "Kinda prefer the stories about blood, though."

"Really. You surprise me."

If she suspected sarcasm she didn't rise to it. "Favourite was Titus Andronicus. The sons getting chopped up and fed to the father, girl getting her comeuppance … always did want to see that."

"This won't quite be in the same vein."

Patience laughed. "Figured that. But, hell, who knows? Maybe someone'll get fed up and shoot the lead."

"Then I'd take it as a kindness if you'd ask the audience not to bring their guns to the performance."

"Gonna be carrying one myself."

"Oh. Good."

---

Patience sat in her large chair in the centre of the front row, the sharp lines of her face picked out in the glow of the torches set up all around the temporary stage, and waited. Every seat behind her was filled, and people were sitting on the hard ground, or lounging against the walls. Certainly seemed that everyone was aching to get some culture.

She glanced down at the playbill in her hand, at the _dramatis personae_. Whatever the hell that meant. List of parts, far as she could see. But it also explained the scenes, and it looked as if this was taking place somewhere called Athens. Appropriate, she thought, glancing up at the planet hanging in the sky, just a crescent showing in the dark. Almost as if it was made for …

A hush descended on the audience as Theo Hawkins and another woman stepped out from inside the Firefly.

"Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour …"

Glancing to her left and right at the rapt faces either side, she settled down and watched the story unfold. As unsophisticated as she admitted to be, she appreciated the skill that went into creating characters who lived and breathed, and she found herself caught up. Even seeing Mal going through his lines was something of a revelation, although the costume he wore had her smiling. Looked like a dress. Something to bear in mind next time her hand was itching to shoot him. Maybe torture him a little with it first.

She recognised Freya as one of the young lovers, and her scenes with the other actress were like lightening captured in a jar, all power and electricity combined.

The she forgot all about who was who, as Oberon weaved his spell over Titania, as Bottom came out from behind the trees with ears like a donkey and brayed at the crowd. She laughed at the play within a play, and it wasn't until afterwards, when the actors were bowing and relishing the applause, that she realised a number of the smaller parts were taken by other members of Serenity's crew. Even Mal's big mercenary had thrown himself into the role, growling with relish.

Theo stepped to the front, holding up his hands for quiet. "Thank you, thank you," he said, his voice easily carrying to the back of the crowd. "It is always a pleasure to perform, but it makes us more than happy to know that you've enjoyed that performance. I wish we could stay, do another play for you, but we have commitments elsewhere. But I wanted to let you know that your appreciation of our craft makes this all worth while. Thank you."

He got the biggest adulation of the night.

Patience sat back, a speculative look on her face. Hawkins might not be who he claimed to be, or maybe was more, but he knew how to play an audience. She let a smile curve her lips. Might be fun to see what he had in mind for Mal. Just to be friendly, of course.

---

Mal watched the old woman hand over another pouch to Theo, who slipped it somewhere inside his robes. They shook hands, and the actor bowed low over her fingers, brushing them lightly with his lips. Then, with a grand gesture, he turned and headed back inside Serenity.

"Borodin?" Hank murmured, standing at Mal's elbow.

"Yeah," Mal said. "And get everyone to hurry up with the reloading." He was still eyeing Patience, her 'boys' standing close. "Wouldn't put it past that woman to take it into her mind to claim a refund."

---

Janith could feel her body getting ready. There was a tension, couple with anticipation, like she felt with no man, even him. She'd said once that the pay-off wasn't the point, but what she had planned was going to make it all the sweeter.

"Janith?" Polka called through the locked door. "You okay in there?"

"Not … not really. Not feeling too good."

"What's up?"

"Probably just a bug. I'll keep away from everyone, for a while, just in case it's contagious."

"Do you need a doctor? We could probably stop off at –"

"No, no," she said hurriedly. "I'm not that bad. I'll just stay in bed and keep warm."

"You sure?"

"Positive. But I'd be grateful if you could let Mikel know. I … he's better off staying in his own room for the moment."

"He won't be happy."

"I don't want him to catch it."

"Okay." Polka didn't sound convinced, though.

Janith listened to the other woman's retreating footsteps and smiled. It wouldn't take much to keep the rest of the actors away from her, as terrified as they were of catching something that would keep them off the stage. And it gave her the perfect excuse to keep out of his way when they did touch down on Borodin. Didn't want him to be forewarned. Not with what she had in mind for him.


	12. Chapter 12

_Act VI – The Black_

It took Mal a while to be able to have a word alone with Theo, and it was only when most of the crew and passengers got bored enough to start playing games that he was able to corner him.

Jayne had got out the hoop and suspended it from the ceiling while the others cleared as much of the stuff cluttering the cargo bay as possible. He tossed the ball from hand to hand. "Teams?"

There was a general kerfuffle as everyone split so it was Serenity versus the Hawkins Troupe, with Jayne, Zoe, Freya, Kaylee and Hank upholding the honour of the Firefly, and Toby, George, Victor, Chang and Riley representing the theatre. Simon sat on the side, his medical kit ready for any and all eventualities, while Inara had taken one look at what was about to happen and taken Noni to the kitchen to prepare half-time treats.

Ethan and Bethany stood in the doorway to the common area, watching intently, but River wanted to join in.

"Nope," Jayne said firmly. "You ain't gonna."

"But I –"

"You're pregnant, River. You can sit and watch with your bro, but you ain't gonna risk yourself none. And it ain't gonna work you looking at me like that." Her look could have scorched metal.

"He's right, _xiao nu_," Freya said, putting her arm around the young woman's shoulders. "And we do need someone to keep score."

River sighed loudly. "I suppose."

"Good girl."

"Only we gotta win," Jayne put in.

"I shall be scrupulously honest," River said, lifting her nose at him and going to sit on the stairs half way up.

"Just so long as we win."

"You are so going down," Toby crowed, his arm slung around Chang's shoulders.

"Yeah?" Jayne drew himself up to his full height and bulk. "Shrimp."

Toby laughed and grabbed the ball from him, tossing it with unnerving accuracy towards the metal hoop. Only Zoe's long arms saved it from scoring.

"Hey!" the young actor complained before being tackled to the ground by Hank.

"Not going to join in?" Mal asked, coming up behind Theo as he watched from the catwalk above.

The actor laughed. "With my bulk? I'd probably land on someone and squash them flat."

"That'd be messy."

They stood for a moment. "Are there any actual rules?" Theo asked eventually, seeing his troupe being out-manoeuvred so much that they were down five hoops already.

"Not that I've ever come across," Mal admitted.

Toby leaped onto a crate and tossed the ball through the hoop, then punched his fist into the air.

"Lucky shot," Jayne called, grabbing the ball and passing it to Hank, who ducked George and threw it to Zoe. She scored.

"I might have to come in on my crew's side," Mal pointed out. "After all, three of 'em are women."

"Who have scored more than all the men put together. Besides, if you did that then I'd be forced to come in on mine. Better we sit this one out, at least for a while, don't you think?"

"Perhaps."

Freya and Zoe settled into their normal pattern of playing, adapting it for the other three, and they were taking the opposition apart.

"So who's the client this time?" Mal asked, nonchalantly as Jayne lifted Kaylee into the air so she could toss the ball to score.

"A man named Tesler Bose. And we won't need Serenity for this performance. He has a large house, and by all accounts there's something of a large ballroom we're using."

"Bose. Sounds familiar."

"Really?" Theo shrugged. "Not that I'm aware. Of course, you know a lot more people out here than I do."

"Can't say I've ever met him, and we ain't never been to Borodin, but there's something about the name."

"He's paying well, that's all I'm worried about." He glanced over. "And we won't need you to help us out, Captain. I've had word from Polka that she's managed to get Cressida up and running and will meet us there."

Mal had the distinct feeling that Theo was covering one thing with another, trying to distract him, but decided not to press it for the moment. "So I don't have to act no more?"

Theo clapped him on the shoulder. "You did a good job. I'd take any and all of you on in an instant if I had the room."

"Thanks, but … no. Although I might have problems persuading some of my crew not to jump ship and join you."

"If you are referring to River and your lovely wife, they'd never leave you, no matter how much I beg." He smiled. "That young woman looks to you like a father."

Mal sighed. "Something I haven't encouraged, let me tell you."

"I don't think you've much choice in the matter."

"No, you're right in that. Guess you have the same problem with your crew."

"That I do, Captain. But I don't mind. It's nice to have family around you."

"Mmn." Mal grinned as Freya swerved around Riley and jumped up high enough to score. "Although I am curious on one point."

"Really?"

"How come you led me to believe this tour was someone else's idea?"

Theo looked at him. "Did I?"

"You did."

"I don't quite know how I could have … Captain, we have feelers out all the time, seeing whether any work might be in the offing. As you yourself must do."

"That is the case. But Patience said you contacted her. Offered your services."

"Oh, I see. And you think I have some ulterior motive for being out this far from the Core."

"It crossed my mind."

"Do you usually take this much interest in your passengers?"

"You ain't strictly passengers any more, though, are you? Not what I'd call passengers, anyway. Getting us involved, becoming friends." He gestured down towards the game below. "'Cause that's what those folks have become."

Kaylee squealed as George propelled her to the ground, then gallantly lifted her back to her feet.

"I know. I'm sorry, that wasn't fair." Theo paused for a moment. "Captain … Mal … times are hard. For everyone. And I no longer feel comfortable too close to the central planets. I have enemies. Yes, don't look so surprised. Even actors make them, and I have had a long career." He sighed. "I didn't want to come this far out either, but these are the places I can work. I'm sorry if I led you to believe otherwise, but like you I'll do anything to keep my family together."

Mal smiled slightly. "Pretty speech, and I might just believe you more if you _weren't_ an actor with a long career."

Theo grinned. "That is something I can't really do much about."

"Your career or the fact that I'm not sure I believe you?"

"Either."

A chuckle wound its way up Mal's throat. "Nope. Guess you can't." He looked down at the game again. "Well, I'm gonna get comfy and make sure my wife doesn't break anything."

"I think I can see better from up here."

"Suit yourself." Mal headed down the stairs but paused halfway. "Bose …" He muttered. "Tesler Bose …" Something about that name sure sounded familiar, only it wasn't recent. Further back, even before he bought … He turned and looked up at Theo. "Tesler Bose," he said louder.

"He's very wealthy," Theo said, a little taken aback as he saw the look on the captain's face.

"He's gorram Alliance." Mal's voice had dropped a level, and now dripped ice.

"Is he?" Theo tried to dissemble. "He's paying. That's all I care about."

"He's Alliance and he was responsible for …" Mal couldn't breathe.

Freya, about to grab the ball from Victor, stopped and looked up. Kaylee cannoned into her, started to apologise, then realised something else was wrong. The game stuttered to a halt.

"He's a private citizen," Theo said, clasping his hands over his belly. "As far as I know he hasn't had anything to do with the Government for years."

"Ten. Ten years since Tesler Bose was in charge of the rehab camps." Mal ground out the words.

"Bose?" Zoe moved forward to stand next to Freya.

"Captain, I can assure you –"

"No wonder you didn't want to tell me." He advanced up the stairs. "I'd never've come near this job if I'd known."

"It's one performance. Just one." Theo actually took a step backwards.

"How can a man who's admitted supporting the Independent cause even consider working for that man?"

"I need the money."

"No-one needs cash that badly."

"I do." Theo had had enough. "And you like everyone you work for? Trust them? Believe that they're good deep down? I doubt it, Captain. I think you take work as it finds you, and you don't look too deeply into whose hand you're shaking to make the deal."

"I'd never work for Bose. He made life hell for good folk, kept us hungry, cold, let the guards …" He stopped and glanced down at Freya and Zoe.

"Captain … Mal …" Theo reached out to put a hand on the other man's arm but dropped it half way.

Mal didn't look at him. "Hank, there a moon or planet we can put these people off on so their ship can pick 'em up?"

"Uh … not really. Nothing between here and Borodin 'cept a couple of asteroids and a black rock."

"Air?"

"No."

The tendons in Mal's neck tautened. "Fine. Then we get them to that planet, drop them and leave."

"Mal, this ain't –" the pilot began.

"Play time's over." Mal glared at Theo just once, then stalked away.

"What's going on?" Jayne asked, looking at River who sat hugging herself.

"Not rightly sure," Kaylee admitted. "Frey? Zoe?"

"Wait," the first mate said. She glanced at Freya. "You going to …"

"Yeah." She hurried through the door into the common area.

"Theo, what is it?" Riley asked, glancing at his fellow actors. "What was he talking about?"

Zoe got in first. "Tesler Bose was a Government official. He was supposed to make sure the Independents in the camps were treated fairly after the war ended."

"I gather he didn't," Simon put in, standing up.

"No. Some places were worse than others, but he let corruption take hold. It was said it started with him, that he lined his pockets and made his money sliding funds away from where it was meant to go. Which meant us."

"Us?" Toby was bemused. "I don't …"

"We were Browncoats," Zoe explained. "Mal, Freya and me. Ended up in the same rehab camp on Santo."

"Bad?"

Zoe nodded. "And when we complained we were … well, there were ways of making sure you didn't complain again."

"I doubt Mal would've stood for that," Hank put in.

"He didn't. Ended up in solitary more than once. We all did. But we got to know the name of the man who made it worse."

"Bose," Simon said.

"Tesler Bose. Not exactly a name you're likely to forget."

"We didn't know," Toby insisted. "Had no idea. It's just a job." He looked up at the catwalk. "Isn't that ri-"

But Theo had gone.

---

Freya found Mal on the bridge, staring out at the stars, his arms folded across his chest.

"Hey," she said softly, standing close behind him, not touching him quite, just letting him feel her warmth.

"Bose."

"Yeah."

"Never thought I'd meet the man who …"

"I thought you weren't going to. From what you just said you were going to drop the actors from a great height and fly away."

He turned to look at her. "Are you making excuses for him? For Theo? After what happened to you on Santo?"

She shook her head, taking a deep breath. "No. But we didn't make any secret of the fact that we were Independents. I'm not surprised Theo didn't say anything."

"Figured we'd get to know 'em before we found out," Mal suggested.

"It worked."

"I don't know, Frey."

Now she stepped closer, putting her hands on his crossed arms, feeling the muscles tense beneath her fingers. "I like them. I know you do too. And the war's long done."

"But Bose –"

"Is just a job. Theo's right. You've worked for people we'd never have around the dinner table before, and I'm pretty sure we will again. Badger, for instance. Niska."

"I didn't exactly finish that job."

"Only because you found out what it was you'd stolen." She smiled a little. "And I was so proud when Zoe told me that. What you did."

Mal lifted a hand to his ear. "Yeah, well, there are ways I think the outcome could've been improved."

"So could I. Mal, you know what it's like to need every coin to keep flying."

"You think I should, what? Kiss and make up?"

"Not so much on the kissing part, but maybe you should listen to him."

"To who?"

"Theo. He's waiting outside the bridge."

Mal looked over at the door. She was right. Theo was lurking in the corridor. He took a deep breath and exhaled it heavily. "So you think –"

"Won't hurt."

He gazed into her eyes, then nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll listen."


	13. Chapter 13

_Act VI cont - The Black_

Theo looked at Freya gratefully as she came down the steps from the bridge. "Thank you."

"I've just made it possible for you to talk to him. Not what he's going to say back."

"I understand." He glanced towards Mal, sitting in the pilot's chair. "I didn't intend for it to be like this."

"Well, you know what they say about intentions and the road to hell." She put her hand briefly on his arm. "Good luck." She walked away, back towards the cargo bay.

Theo took a deep breath and climbed the steps.

"Better take a seat," Mal said, not turning.

"Thank you." The large man lowered himself into the seat. He looked out of the window. "I've always loved the view in space," he said conversationally. "Calming."

"Yeah."

"Although I imagine it isn't having that effect on you at the moment."

"Not particularly."

"Can I explain this to you?"

Mal twisted the seat around. "I think you'd better."

"Captain, I know you understand the logistics of keeping a vessel in the air. You have one ship and … how many, ten crew?"

"Eight. 'Nara and Noni live elsewhere usually."

"Eight. Plus your children. So a dozen. I have two ships and nearly thirty members I'm responsible for. And my ships are old - Troilus would give your Firefly a run on age, and Cressida is close behind. If I didn't have Polka to keep at least one of them spaceworthy, I'd be out of business."

"I know what you mean."

"Your master mechanic Kaylee, yes. But even she can't fix two ships at once."

"Never asked her to, but I take your point."

"It takes money. Cold, hard coin to keep flying."

"I understand that." Mal sat forward, his forearms on his knees. "But there has to be other ways of getting the cash, of making a living."

"Of course there are. We could settle on a planet, build a place of our own, be land based. Cannibalise the ships, perhaps. But I've been a roving actor all my life. I'm not sure, especially at my age, I could put down roots."

"Theo, this is all very sad, and believe me I do understand about the need to feel free, but Bose ain't the answer."

"It has to be. Mal, even with his money we'll be hard pushed. I know I made it sound as if it would give us the time to take our ease and regroup, but it's more a case of survival. Letting Pol have the parts she needs to get Troilus off the ground again. Repair our equipment. Repaint, get more costumes." Theo sighed. "No matter what he is, it's costing Bose to have us. The Hawkins Troupe still has a reputation, and I'm making him pay through the nose for the privilege."

Mal sat back again. "You knew I wouldn't like it. Soon as you found out I was an Independent. You knew there was a danger I'd remember him."

"Not all Browncoats were in the camps. But I'm not stupid."

"No. Figure you're not."

"And you're famous yourself, in your own circle. Serenity Valley might have been a decade ago, but people still talk about you."

"Nothing to talk about. I was just a soldier. That's all."

"Hardly just anything, Mal." He sighed. "I wish it could be different. And I understand if you just want to leave us and go. But I wish you'd stay. I … I would feel safer."

"You think you can trust me?"

"Yes. I think you're an honourable man."

They looked at each other for a long moment.

"I still ain't happy over this," Mal said finally.

"I know. And I promise to fall on my sword as soon as this is all over, Captain."

"Make up your mind."

Theo looked confused. "What?"

"Captain or Mal. 'Cause you've called me both in the last few minutes, and I might just get a little confused if you don't decide which it's to be."

"I think that's up to you."

Mal gazed at him a minute longer then exhaled slowly. "I'd rather you'd told me upfront, but I can see why you didn't. It don't mean I trust you, Theo. But I kinda like you, which goes a long way towards making up for it. And as Frey says, war's long done. All just folks now." He hitched his thumbs into his suspenders. "So I'll take you to Borodin. Even hang around while you play. Just don't expect me to like it."

"Thank you."

"Now, you'd better get off my bridge, make sure things are going smooth."

"Yes, Captain." Theo got to his feet and went to leave.

"And it's Mal."

Theo smiled. "Yes, Mal." He hurried down the steps as quickly as his frame would allow, giving Freya, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a slight bow.

"Is everything okay?" Inara asked, from behind the counter.

"I think so."

"Mal's not going to put them out of the airlock?"

"Not this time."

"You really have worked wonders with him."

"Not me," Freya muttered, heading towards the bridge. "He did that all by himself."

He felt her coming. "Okay, I listened."

She turned the chair to face her, looking into his blue eyes. "I'm proud of you."

"Why? 'Cause I'm gonna fulfil my contract with them?"

"Because you're a decent man." She leaned forward and kissed his lips lightly, feeling them open up to her.

"Yeah, well, I ain't that decent. If I had put him off before time, I'd've had to give him a refund. And I need the fare."

"That's not true."

"You calling me a liar?" he asked, his eyebrows raising, pulling her into his lap.

"That depends. What are you planning to do about it if I am?"

"Oh, I'll think of something," he said, tugging her face back down to his.

---

After a somewhat uncomfortable evening meal, which finally relaxed after Kaylee donated some of her inter-engine finest, nearly everyone slept late the following morning. Even Mal, who claimed he'd never had a hangover in his life, was feeling a little fragile, so after feeding their daughter Freya popped Jesse into the bed with him and took Ethan to find some breakfast.

"Anything you fancy?" she asked as she made sure her son got to the top of the ladder safely. "Something nice and greasy?"

Mal grimaced. "We're fine," he said, cuddling his baby girl into his chest. "Just go away."

Freya laughed softly, and started to climb, her heart warmed by the sight of the pair of them bonding.

By the time she reached the kitchen Ethan had already dragged a stool to the counter and climbed up.

"So what do you want for breakfast?" she asked, ruffling his dark hair as she went past.

He wrinkled in nose in thought. "Crackers," he finally decided.

Smiling, Freya reached into a cupboard and took out a small bag. "Your Uncle Jayne is a bad influence on you," she said, handing it over.

He grinned and ripped it open, crunching away happily.

Evidently someone else had the same idea, as Theo stepped down into the galley. "Freya, my dear. Good morning."

"Morning." She smiled and put the pot on to boil.

Crossing the room to stand by Ethan, he went on, "Your husband is a complicated man."

"That he is."

"I really thought he was going to kill me yesterday."

"Mal had reason."

"I've heard about the camps of course. Never really met anyone who admitted being in one, though."

Freya looked at him. "Most folks try and forget."

"At least you had each other."

"Yes."

"Was it really so bad?"

"Theo, I like you. So believe me when I say I don't intend to tell you what happened to us there. It's none of your business, and if you push it you will get hurt."

Their eyes locked for a moment, then Theo nodded. "I understand. And I'm sorry this has dragged everything up again for you."

"It's always there. We just don't like the scabs broken open."

"Of course."

"Mama?" Ethan asked, his forehead creased as he stared from one to the other.

"It's okay," Freya said. "We were just talking."

"Want Daddy?" He was ready to climb down and get his father.

"No, we're fine." She smiled warmly at him. "But thank you."

"'Kay." He thrust another protein cracker into his mouth.

"Can I have one of those?" Theo asked, anxious to repair any damage he'd caused.

Ethan held out the bag. "Course," he said, spluttering crumbs a little as the actor carefully took a cracker.

Freya laughed and wiped them from his chest. "Don't talk and eat," she said.

"'Kay, Mama."

Theo nibbled delicately on his, then said, "Freya, my dear, can I ask you a favour?"

"Depends on what it is."

"I know I told your husband that I wouldn't be needing the services of your crew as actors any more, but …"

Her eyes widened. "No."

"Janith's sick. She plays Helena, and since you know the lines, and River has so kindly agreed to play Hermia this one last time since Dana is incapacitated, I wondered if you wouldn't find it in your heart to join her, and us, and I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate." He got the words out as fast as possible in case she interrupted him.

"Theo, this isn't fair."

"I know. But the children are still going to be fairies, and … please?" He managed the puppy-dog eyes pretty well, Freya realised, particularly for a big man. Something to do with being an actor, no doubt.

"Theo -"

"It would make things so much easier. Please?"

She swallowed, thinking of all the reasons she didn't want to, all the good, really valid reasons she … then he turned on the eyes even more. "I suppose -"

He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, my dear. You don't know how happy you've made me." He smiled widely and hurried out of the room before she could change her mind.

Freya stared after him.

"Mama?" Ethan asked. "Going to be a fairy?" He grinned. "I like being a fairy."

She looked down at him. "I know you do, honey."

"Going to tell Daddy." He scrambled from the stool and walked back towards the bunks, leaving a trail of crumbs as he went.

"Good morning, Ethan," Inara said, passing him in the doorway.

"Going to be a fairy," he said solemnly.

"That's good." She smiled, then looked at Freya standing behind the counter. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, shiny."

"Did you drink too much of Kaylee's brew too?"

Freya sighed. "Maybe I did."

"Then why don't I make us some tea? You look as if you could do with a good sit down."

"Thanks, 'Nara." She headed for the easy chairs.

"You know, I'm almost sorry we won't be doing any more acting," Inara said, chatting away as she got out the cups.

"Speak for yourself." Freya grimaced.

"Really? You can't tell me you weren't enjoying it towards the end."

"Oh, I can. And it's not the end."

"Not … what do you mean?"

"I think I've just agreed to perform Helena one last time. It seems like the actress who's meant to play her is sick."

Inara laughed a little. "That's wonderful!"

"No it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

"Then you play her."

"No, it means he thinks you're good." She carried the tray across and put it onto the small table, settling elegantly into one of the other chairs.

"I don't want to, Inara."

"One last time. Then it's over." She began to pour. "What happened yesterday … Are you going to be okay being on Borodin? With Bose, I mean."

Freya shrugged. Inara was the only one on board to know in any kind of detail what had happened to her on Santo, and she planned to keep it that way. Even Mal didn't know. "I never met the man. He was just a name, someone we could all blame for the way things were."

"Do you think he really did those things Mal said?"

"Corruption was rife, Inara. From the lowest level up. He probably made a packet out of us, and never even considered what it meant."

"You're very forgiving."

"I have to be. Otherwise I'd be the one getting off Serenity to slit his throat." She picked up her cup and took a sip. "Are you really sure it's over between you and Sam?" she asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Do you see him here?"

"No."

"Then I think it's pretty certain."

"He cared about you."

"Perhaps."

"I know he did. He said so."

"Then it wasn't enough."

"'Nara, he was afraid."

"Of what? Me?"

"No. And you know what it was. He was afraid of life out here. The way things are."

"He didn't give it a chance. He took one look at what happened on Jangyin and ran away." Inara shook her head. "If he cared he'd have stayed."

"And if he comes back?"

Inara's head lifted. "You think he might?"

"Stranger things have happened. And I've got a family just along the corridor to prove it."

"I … I don't know."

"That's good."

"What is?"

"That you're at least not closing the door on him."

"I think he rather did that himself."

"Oh, Miss Serra." Riley was standing in the doorway. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Is it that time already?" Inara stood up.

Riley smiled. "It is."

"Time?" Freya inquired.

"I'm teaching Riley some of the Core dances."

"Another string to my bow," Riley admitted. "Can't have too many, not when you're an actor."

"I'll meet you downstairs," Inara said.

"Shiny." He grinned and headed off.

"Inara …"

"What?"

"He's awful young."

"I'm just teaching him how to dance, Freya."

"Right."

"To dance."

"Absolutely."

"That's all."

"Of course."

Inara glared at her friend. "You have a smutty mind," she said, and swept out, Freya's laughter ringing in her ears.


	14. Chapter 14

_Act VII – Borodin_

Borodin was an enigma. A border planet where more care had been taken with the terraforming than normal, so that it was somewhat more lush than it had a right to be.

Mal squinted out of the bridge window at the sun reflecting off the sea as they followed the curve of the world.

"Looks pretty gorram cold," Hank said. "This side's in its spring period right now, but I doubt the temperature gets much above zero at all during the night."

"Good job the play's gonna be indoors then."

"One way of freezing your assets, though." Hank chuckled at his own joke, even with Mal glaring at him.

"You got the co-ordinates?"

"Just coming up on them." Down below the sea shimmered. "Still say that looks cold."

"Then don't ditch us and you won't have to be swimming to shore."

---

Theo closed the small book and pushed it under his clothes in the case.

"Are you ready?" Etta asked, sliding the door to the room open.

"I suppose so."

"You don't have to do this," she said, sitting next to him and taking hold of his hand.

"Yes, I do. Otherwise we'll never be free."

"Theo, we _are_ free."

He lifted her hand to his lips. "To us. But after tonight, to them as well."

"I wish you'd told Captain Reynolds."

Theo sighed. "So do I. I'm pretty sure he'd understand. But it's too late now for the truth. I didn't know him before, and if I mentioned it now he'd think the worst."

"Can it get much worse?"

"It will if we get caught."

"I wish …" She stopped as the words died in her throat.

"So do I. But it's nearly done."

---

"Remind you of anywhere?" Hank asked, swinging Serenity around as they approached the H-shaped house on the edge of the sea shore set in an expanse of manicured lawns and gardens.

"There's no cliff," Mal said. "And I'm hoping Bose is nothing like Han."

"Me too," Hank agreed fervently. "Can't be two like that in the 'verse. Wouldn't be fair." He adjusted the down thrusters and nodded towards a concreted area set well back from the house. "Landing dock's over there."

"Just get us down safely."

"When don't I?" Hank grinned. "No sign of the other ship yet."

"I'm sure Cressida will be along soon."

Hank watched the screens intently, making minute corrections until Serenity touched solid ground and he cut the engines. Only after he'd locked the yoke did he look up. "Mal, this Tesler Bose …"

"What about him?"

"Are you likely to be shooting him? I'm only asking because, well, I'd kinda like to keep out of the way."

"I'm gonna to be trying my best not to."

"Good." He leaned back. "Only it's bad form to be killing folk without proof, and you don't exactly have any that he knew what was going on the camps."

"Hank, if I were you I'd stop talking about something I know nothing about." Mal stalked off the bridge.

"Just saying," the pilot called.

"Well don't."

---

Tesler Bose watched as the Firefly came in to land, and adjusted the cravat at his neck. Trying hard not to allow his irritation to show, he said over his shoulder, "They're here, dear."

His wife of six months fluttered to join him. "Oh, my. What an enchanting little ship."

"It's a wreck, Clara."

"I think it's sweet."

"You have no understanding of these matters."

She laughed. "Perhaps not. But I know what I like when I see it." She turned away to pick up her coat. "Come on. They'll be expecting us to greet them."

Bose sighed internally. This was all Clara's fault. If she hadn't been so enamoured of seeing the great Hawkins Troupe they wouldn't be going through this farce right now. She'd gone on for days after getting the wave, and now she was like a little girl with new party shoes.

"Come on!" she insisted from the doorway.

"Yes, dear."

---

The ramp lowered and Mal looked out towards the formal gardens around the house. Even if Hank hadn't mentioned it was spring, he'd have been able to tell from the leaves just misting the trees, and the green shoots pushing up through the dark earth. In fact, even with his eyes closed he'd have known. There was a scent very much like Shadow always had after the rains left and before the summer came, and that unsettled him a little.

"Mr Hawkins?" asked a man striding towards them, a diminutive woman barely keeping up with him. Three men followed who, despite their conservative suits, screamed _muscle_.

Mal walked down the ramp. "No. I'm Captain Reynolds. This is my ship." He studied the man in front of him, trying to equate him with his mental image of Bose. Younger, somehow, than he expected, probably in his late forties, but he looked as if he kept himself fit. What he didn't look was comfortable in the formal clothes he was wearing, the cravat seeming to be too tight, the knee length brocade coat out of place on him. Even his boots, polished to a high gleam, were just a bit too much.

"I'm Tesler Bose," he said, not extending a hand. "Where is Mr Hawkins?"

"Here, here," the man himself exclaimed, hurrying down behind Mal. "Mr Bose, how nice to finally meet you in person."

"Yes." They shook hands awkwardly, a single downward tug, then Bose turned to the woman at his side. "This is my wife, Clara. I believe you've spoken."

"Waved, only." Theo swept the woman's hand to his lips. "An honour, dear lady. And may I say what a beautiful estate you have."

Clara coloured prettily. "Of course, it's Tesler's, really. But I'm slowly making my mark on it."

Bose rolled his eyes, and Mal had to hide a smile.

"And I'm sure you're improving it immensely," Theo said gallantly.

"You are too kind."

Theo half turned as Etta joined them. "And this is Etta, my own spouse."

Clara dimpled. "So many happy marriages," she said blissfully. "Welcome to our home."

Etta laughed. "Thank you. And it is lovely."

"I've just finished remodelling the entire west wing. I hope you have time to see it."

"I'd love to."

Theo clapped his hands together. "Now, as delightful as it is to spend time talking with such an enchanting pair of young ladies as yourselves, I do need to discuss some business."

"Of course." Clara smiled, this time much more knowingly. She was well aware she'd passed the description of young some time back, as had Etta, but it was nice to be flattered occasionally. "What do you need to know?"

"Well, the schedule for today. As you can see, my second ship hasn't arrived as yet. Do we have time?"

"Plenty of time." Clara snaked her arms through Theo and Etta's. "Our friends will be arriving around 6.00 pm," she explained. "We'll have drinks, then dinner, and if it's acceptable to you the play will start at about ten."

"Of course that's fine," Theo said, giving a very slight bow. "Captain, if you could arrange for our possessions to be brought outside, I would be grateful."

Mal nodded, surprised to realise that they wouldn't be taking off with them again, and feeling a flash of annoyance at himself. "No problem."

"Just leave it outside," Bose said airily. "No-one will interfere with it."

"I don't see much in the way of security," Mal noted.

"I own pretty much the whole moon. I have no fears on that account."

Mal raised an eyebrow but didn't comment further.

"It was kind of you to let us come," Etta said, smiling widely, including Bose in her warmth.

"My wife is the theatre lover, not myself." Bose shrugged. "I have no desire to watch plays."

"Perhaps you just haven't had the chance to see the best in action," Theo put in. "And we are the best."

"Well, I'm certainly paying you enough."

Clara Bose tapped her husband on the arm. "Tesler, now you know that isn't important. Our friends are going to be delighted."

"Yes, dear."

"I expect you'll want to see where you'll be performing?" Clara went on, turning back to Theo.

He nodded. "That would be useful. I'm sure it will be perfect, but we may need to adjust our settings."

"Oh, yes, of course." She twinkled at him. "I know you're going to adore it. When I first saw it I –" She stopped as a roaring sound made itself known, and everyone looked up.

Bose stiffened, glancing at his men, and Theo laughed. "It's the Cressida," he explained. "I know that sound anywhere."

They watched as a ship dropped out of the sky, the sunlight glinting off her panels. Mal glanced behind him and saw the rest of the Hawkins Troupe congregated in the entrance to the cargo bay, his own crew behind.

"Good to see the old girl," he heard Toby say.

"Got that right," Chiang agreed.

"Just 'cause you're missing …"

The rest of the conversation was lost as the sound grew in intensity, and Cressida landed next to the Firefly with barely a shudder. Her engines cut and peace returned.

The actors rolled out of Serenity, and Bose stepped back, almost as if he was afraid to touch them. His men grouped themselves close behind him, hands ready to draw concealed weapons if need be.

Cressida's main hatch opened, and more people ran out, the two groups meeting in the middle, and there was an orgy of greetings and hugs of welcome.

"You are very close knit," Clara said admiringly.

"My family." Theo beamed.

"Well, while they're getting reacquainted, perhaps you'd come with me to the ballroom."

"My lady, I would follow you anywhere."

Clara laughed and led the way inside, her husband trailing along after them.

Mal watched them go, a slight dent between his brows. Something was irritating his sense of survival, but he couldn't pin it down. Might just be the proximity of Bose, but there was no guarantee. And he knew better than to ignore the feeling to his cost, and he had the scars to prove it. Perhaps he should talk to Frey, see if she'd picked up on anything.

"He seems a trifle hen-pecked," Inara breathed, wafting up next to him.

"Doesn't mean he ain't what we think he is too. Something tells me that's not mutually exclusive."

"Just give him the benefit of the doubt, will you? We'll only be here a few hours."

"The less the better."

She hit him on the arm and walked off.

Janith looked out of the bridge window of the Cressida as the two halves of the Hawkins Troupe hugged and kissed each other. She was still sick – at least, that's what she kept telling everyone. But she had to see, to make sure that it was … Yes, there he was. Standing back, his thumbs in his gunbelt, looking on indulgently. Still the same conceited _hwoon dahn_ he'd ever been, thinking he could talk his way out of any kind of trouble.

"Well, let's just see if you're so damn smug when this is all over, Malcolm Reynolds," Janith said quietly. "See who's laughing then."

---

The set was soon reconstructed in the ballroom, and with the lights turned low Kaylee began to think the magic of that evening on Carson's Moon might be about to be recreated. She, Noni and River had hung out of one of the top windows to watch the arrival of the Bose's guests, commenting on the clothes and vehicles.

"Can't figure out what these folks to do keep busy," the young mechanic said as yet another gleaming hover disgorged its passengers. "Ooh, that's pretty."

Inara joined them. "Not a lot. Visiting, taking tea, playing cards … that's about it."

"Having love affairs," River put in.

"You don't know that."

"She is." She pointed down to a willowy woman who had climbed out on the arm of an elderly man. "He doesn't know it."

"Who with?" Noni asked quickly, her eyes wide.

"No, you shouldn't be talking about that about people," Inara tried to put in, but Kaylee interrupted.

"Someone dashing and fashionable?" she asked.

"The gamekeeper. Name of Mellors."

Inara's mouth dropped. "River, that's a fib!"

The psychic smiled. "Almost. She _is_ having an affair. But I can't tell who with. I feel too fuzzy." She tapped her belly. "This little one's causing static."

"At least you're not throwing up anymore," Kaylee said.

"Lopradine."

"Simon?"

"Just for now. After the play I'll stop and let nature take its course."

"That's crazy, River."

"I am. Hadn't you heard?"

She looked so serious that the others glanced at each other, then she laughed, and they joined in.

---

"You know what you have to do," Theo said softly, his face serious.

Mikel nodded. "I know." He rubbed his hands together, almost as if they were cold. "Just want to get on with it."

"Wait until the performance starts," Theo chided. "If you do come across anyone you can always say you got lost. Hopefully they'll believe you in a place like this."

The young man's lips twitched. "I'm an actor, Theo. Of course they will."

"I hope so. I truly hope so." But he looked troubled.

---

Janith slid the small roll of lock-picks out from under the mattress and tucked it between her breasts. It was a good job it was loose enough to disguise her bounteous assets, as it also hid the small pistol held hard against her thigh in the custom-made holster.

Catching her hair up in a roll at the back of her neck, she stuck two chopsticks through to hold it in place then looked at herself in the mirror. The drab dress was very close to those worn by the servants, chosen for that very purpose, and without make-up she was likely to be able to pass cursory inspection. Anything more than that and the gun might have to come into play. After she'd tried everything else, of course.

She wrinkled her nose at her reflection, promising herself a week at the spa on Hydrus to get rid of the gorram hair colour, and to get it cut, too. Still, no-one could say she hadn't played her part well. And now it was time for the finale.

---

Mal was sitting in the cargo bay of Serenity, perched on a crate. He'd promised Freya he'd come to watch her act for that very last time, but right now he wanted to be as far away from Bose and his cronies as possible. He'd done his best to make polite conversation, but the memories of what had happened to him and his in the camp were too much, and he'd come back to the Firefly to recharge the batteries. Besides, he didn't like leaving her on her own, despite Bose's declarations that no-one would come near her.

Have to get going soon, though, he told himself. She wouldn't like it if he missed her grand entrance. Could make life all kinds of awkward for him, not least of which would be withdrawing conjugal rights. He grinned. Not that she would. Not with a nature like hers. Funny how they seemed to fit. Each waiting to find the other before letting their passions take over. So as difficult for her as making him desperate to hold her …

He sat forward. There was movement at the base of Cressida. He hadn't seen anyone come up the path, so either they'd gone round the back or … Light spilled out from the hatch, just briefly, but it was enough to see someone leaving.

His brows drew together. So not a thief, unless he hadn't noticed them get on board in the first place. They weren't walking like a thief, though. Striding along towards the house in the glow of the torches set along the garden. He could see it was a woman, but that was about …

_Kai tian pi di_! His jaw dropped as she stopped in the pool of light and glanced around, presumably making sure she wasn't followed, and he was glad he'd not put the lights on in the cargo bay. Keeping still he waited until she'd turned and begun to walk again before he stood up, moving silently down the ramp. Keeping out of the lights he followed her, his jumble of thoughts slowly spinning down to just one: what the hell was _that_ woman doing here?


	15. Chapter 15

_Act VII cont – Borodin_

In the room set aside for the actors to get ready, Jayne tugged the meat off a chicken leg with his teeth.

"I don't know how you can do that at a time like this," Freya complained, just the sight of the man eating making her feel sick.

"At a time like what?" He peered at her.

"Just because you're not going to go on tonight doesn't mean you shouldn't have sensibilities for those of us that are." She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the smell of food.

"With a spread like this?" Jayne swept his arm to take in the array of delicacies laid out for them by the Bose servants. "You crazy?"

"I wish I was playing Puck," Noni said, her voice and face the picture of sadness. "I really enjoyed it."

"You were good, too," the big man said around a mouthful of chicken.

"Don't suppose I'll ever get the chance to do it again."

River sat down next to Freya, leaning against her. "It will be all right," she said softly.

"You sure about that? I can't help feeling that something is about to go wrong."

"Nerves."

"Hope so."

River nodded towards the professional actors who were congregated the other side of the room, checking each other's costumes. "Have you noticed how, now they're all together, we're not?"

"You mean it's us and them again?"

"The Troupe and the Firefly." River giggled. "Sounds like the title of a play. Perhaps I should write it."

"Is it a tragedy?"

"A mystery. With love thrown in."

Freya finally smiled. "That I like."

---

"Tesler, it's time." Clara stood in the doorway of the study. "And you're neglecting our guests."

He looked up at her, a mixture of amusement and resignation in his eyes. "Clara, you know you're the one they've come to see."

"Nonsense."

"They like you."

She fluttered into the room, coming around the back of his desk so she could adjust his collar. "They like you too, silly."

"They tolerate me. They have to. I'm their landlord, after all."

"And they all have marvellous houses, big estates, thanks to you."

"Which they have to pay for." He stood up in an attempt to get away from her fussing hands. "And rich people never like to spend money. It's why they're rich."

"Tesler!" She slapped him lightly on the chest. "You make it sound as if you're poor."

"I have been. I know what it's like. And I don't intend for it to be that way again."

She laughed. "Of course it won't be." She took his hand, feeling his wrap his fingers around it. "But they will be wondering if you're late for the performance."

"Clara, do I have to? I've really got work to do here." He indicated the papers spread across the leather-topped desk.

"No." She was putting her foot down. "You're coming."

"Very well." He sighed. "Let me just …" He turned to the safe, tucking a handful of documents back inside and closing the door. He span the tumblers, then pushed it back into its recess, the wall dropping into place.

"You know, you should get one of those handprint scanner ones," Clara said, her head slightly to one side. "That's so old-fashioned."

"And all anyone would have to do is cut off my hand to open it. At least like this they'd have difficulty getting the numbers out of my head."

She made a moue of distaste. "I hope you're not intending to talk like that in front of our guests."

"No, dear." He held out his arm. "Shall we?"

---

Riley hurried back from the doorway. "Bose is here," he said.

Theo nodded and looked at Kaylee. "Are you ready with those lights of yours?"

"Ready."

"Then, everyone … break a leg."

Freya winced. "I hate it when he says that."

-

Mikel watched as Bose and his wife took their seats among the other guests, and waited as the lights went down, and the ballroom was only illuminated by the great fires at either end, gentle music barely on the edge of hearing in the background. Then slowly the glow increased, and Theo and Etta walked onto the stage.

He studied the audience, making sure none were likely to get up and interrupt, and noted even a large number of the servants of the house had squeezed into the back of the room, intent on the action unfolding in front of them.

Taking a deep breath, he slid back around the pillar and out the side door, fading into the shadows like the professional he was.

-

Mal tailed her, not close enough so that he'd be easy to pick up, but not far enough to lose her. Not that she seemed to be worried about being followed. Which in itself was something of a worry. Most of the household staff might be peeking in on the big performance, but she still walked through the house like she owned it.

She went round a corner, and he paused, praying she didn't turn her head. Seemed like his luck was in as she carried on.

It was just a second, less than that, a brief reflection in the mirror that she caught before he was invisible again.

_That's it_, Janith thought. _Come to Momma_. She smiled.

-

Tesler Bose felt his wife nudge him every so often in case he fell asleep, and he was more than a little disgruntled. It was his own house, for heaven's sake. He should be allowed to doze if he wanted. After all, it was warm, the lights were low … and here she was poking him with her sharp elbow like she did in bed. He sighed, but quietly.

At least the actresses in this damn play were easy on the eye. Particularly the little one playing … what was it? Hermia? He almost laughed out loud. Stupid name for a character, so he was probably wrong. And the other one, playing her friend. She was something, too. Tall and powerful. Just the kind of woman to warm a man at night.

"_I frown upon him yet he loves me still._"

"_I give him curses, yet he gives me love_."

Oh, and the language. Why couldn't they just talk properly?

"_The more I hate, the more he follows me_."

"_The more I love, the more he hateth me_."

Bose sighed again and tried to see his watch in the gloom. How much longer was this going to go on for?

-

Janith had stopped by a heavy wooden door. She was listening, checking that there was no-one inside, then reached into her ample bosom. A few moments later there was a click and the door swung open. She stepped through.

Mal was in something of a quandary. Tesler Bose wasn't exactly a friend of his, and he didn't care much if this woman stole the shirt off his back. But he wasn't alone here. Not just his crew, either, but the Hawkins Troupe. If she got caught, or even if she didn't, it could make life really awkward for all of them. He cursed the fact that he hadn't brought a com with him, couldn't call Jayne or Zoe for help, and by the time he'd gone and found one or other of them she'd be long gone.

Still, he might be able to persuade her. Checking the corridor he moved forward, his booted feet making not a sound on the thick carpet. The door moved at his touch, its hinges well oiled, and he walked two paces into the room.

"_Hoe-tze duh pee-goo.,_" Mal muttered and stopped, feeling the cold of a metal barrel pressed against his neck. Very carefully, very slowly, he turned his head enough to see who had the drop on him. "Well, well," he said. "Looks like I was right. Hello, Saffron."

"Hello, hubby."

-

"_Ill-met by moonlight, proud Titania_."

"_What, jealous Oberon? Fairies, skip hence: I have forsworn his bed and company_."

Bose was ready to order his men to kill, he was so bored.

-

Saffron smiled at him, like they were old friends.

"Not your husband. Proved that on Boros." Mal hooked his thumbs into his pockets, making sure his hands went nowhere near his weapon.

"But to me you'll always be special."

"So special you're holding a gun on me?"

"Absolutely." She glanced down at his gunbelt, but her hand didn't move. "Speaking of which, drop it."

"Saffron, I really think we should talk about this."

"After you take off the belt."

Mal sighed heavily and unbuckled his gun, laying it carefully on the back of the chair. "Least you ain't told me to strip."

"Don't tempt me."

"So now what?"

"I do what I came to do, and I leave you here to take the blame."

"Really. Sounds almost familiar."

"There's jewels in Tesler's safe, and I intend to have my share. Well, actually a lot more than my share, but who's counting?"

"Tesler?" His eyebrow raised. "You know our host?"

"I know lots of people, sweetie."

"Marry him too?"

She was saved from having to answer by the door bursting open and three men rushing in, armed with the very latest in stun rifles, the kind that were very painful as well as efficient.

"Don't move," the first one ordered.

"_Qingwa cao de liumang_," Saffron spat.

"You know, for once, I think I agree with you," Mal said, wondering if his life was always going to be like this. Or, in fact, whether it was going to turn out to be surprisingly short.

-

Maybe not shoot. Perhaps roast, over a slow fire, with music to drown out the screaming.

"_Fetch me this herb, and be thou here again ere the leviathan can swim a league_."

Or gutting. With a blunt knife.

"Sir." One of his underlings was at his side, whispering close to his ear.

-

"Want to explain to me what's going on?" Mal asked, sitting in one of the armchairs in front of the desk. He had to admit it was one of the more comfortable places he'd been held at gunpoint in, but that didn't improve his temper.

"I was just taking a walk!" Saffron insisted, next to him.

"Looking like that. Oh, and, by the way? The hair colour? Nah."

She glared at him. "You always were a gentleman."

"And you were always after the main chance." He crossed his legs carefully so that the man pointing the stun rifle at him didn't take it personally. "So why _are_ you here?"

"I'm an actress. With the Hawkins Troupe."

He couldn't help the laugh that burst from his chest. "You?"

"Me. I'm very good."

"Oh, of that I've no doubt." A light went on in his brain. "So you're the elusive Janith?"

"I am."

"How many names have you actually had, girl?"

"Always one more," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"And your manners ain't improved."

"That they haven't." Tesler Bose came into the room and walked past them to sit at his desk. "But then, your manners weren't what first attracted me to you, was it, Lorelei?"

"Lore … Lorelei?" Mal stared at her.

"It's just a name, sweetie."

"And not even her real one," Bose said.

"Oh, I know that," Mal agreed. "My wife'd be the one to tell you all about her."

"I don't need to ask."

"Then you'll know all about her tendencies to marry any man that comes along."

"You too?"

"Once."

"I didn't let her get that close."

"You should be proud."

"Oh, I am." Bose shook his head. "But that doesn't mean I don't hate people trying to steal from me."

"Hey, I was an innocent bystander here!" Mal insisted.

"Bystander, perhaps. But innocent? I doubt it." He leaned forward suddenly. "I know all about you, Captain Reynolds. And I doubt you've been innocent for a very long time."

"Not since the rehab camp on Santo, maybe." Mal's eyes hardened. "That'd break the innocence out of most folks."

"Santo?" Bose shook his head. "Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

-

"Where's Mal?" Freya asked, dabbing at her face carefully to avoid damaging the make-up.

"No idea," Jayne said. "He went back to the ship, last I heard. Mebbe he fell asleep?"

"Perhaps."

"Can't you tell?" Kaylee asked, adjusting Bethany's wings.

"It's …" She tried to concentrate, but only got a vague impression of resignation tinged with anger. Everything else was overlaid with the play.

The big mercenary could sense her frustration. "Want me to go find him for you?" he suggested.

She flashed him a grateful smile. "Would you? And tell him from me he's got some explaining to do when he finally does show."


	16. Chapter 16

_Act VII cont – Borodin_

Bose looked at his two captives, Lorelei – or maybe it was Saffron – trying to make eye contact with him, and Reynolds glowering at him. _Honestly,_ he thought. _Don't they make crooks like they used to?_ Aloud he said, "Santo?"

"Site of a rehabilitation camp," Mal said, wishing that in this case that looks could kill, because Bose would be giving up his last breath by now. "Fancy name for prisoner of war ghetto. Something you were in charge of."

"I was in charge of all of them, Captain. Not just that particular one."

"That _particular_ one was where my … where I was. And I'd personally like to thank you for the bad food and the worse beatings that went on there."

Bose smiled a little. "You're more than welcome."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"No, I rather gathered that. Still, all in the past now, isn't it? Unlike your rather puerile attempt to rob me." He turned in his swivel chair to face the wall behind him, and with the ease of long practice, he slid the cover away from the safe and dialled the numbers. The heavy door swung open and he took a moment to go through the contents before closing it up again. "Just checking," he said as he sat back up. "Lorelei always was somewhat too keen on money for my taste."

"Mind if I ask when this was?" Mal inquired. "Just to scratch the itch of curiousness."

"It has nothing to do with money," the woman in question said.

"Oh, come on, Saffron." Mal almost wanted to laugh. "First time we met you tried to steal my boat, second time you wanted to jig me out of the prize, and third time you decided I was the mark to take the blame." He looked at Bose. "Which, by the way, is exactly the case here too."

"You know, I don't really care," Bose said, looking disinterested.

"Tesler, honey, you have no idea what he made me do," Saffron said, putting on her little girl pout. "All the degrading positions he put me in. He took advantage of me, sugar. Made me do things that …" She managed to shudder, and even Mal had to give her credit for the performance she was putting on. "And now, just because I wanted to meet you again, to try and tell you how much I care about you, that I would do anything to be close to you –"

"Gag her, will you?" Bose said, looking at the man standing behind her. "Or just shoot her if she doesn't shut up."

Saffron looked insulted, but closed her mouth.

Mal couldn't help the lift to his lips. "You really do know her, don't you?"

"I wish I didn't, Captain. And I'm afraid you're going to feel exactly the same way."

"I do already."

"This will be a little more permanent. And I don't think you're going to be flushed with success." He laughed, as if he'd heard the best joke ever.

Mal and Saffron exchanged a puzzled glance.

"Look, Mr Bose –" Mal began.

"I'd normally just shoot you," Bose said, not listening. "Well, have you shot. But I don't need the hassle at the moment. So I'm just going to leave you somewhere safe until I've gone. Clara and I are going to stay with friends for a while. We're leaving right after the play."

"Then your men will let us go?"

"Really, Captain Reynolds. Do you honestly think I'm that stupid?"

Mal shrugged, unwilling to give an honest answer. "Had to try."

"I think there'll be a little accident, only when the authorities find your bodies the evidence will point to a time of death when I couldn't possibly have been involved."

"Why don't you just hand us over to them now?" Mal suggested, feeling the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. "We're thieves. Breaking and entering, attempted robbery … figure there wouldn't be any denying it."

"Hardly."

"And there are folk waiting for us. They might come looking if we –"

"Oh, I don't think they're going to be any trouble. They might weep over your graves, but that's about all." He tutted. "And I shall be so conciliatory I'll put even the great Hawkins to shame. A lover's tryst gone wrong, perhaps. Possibly even a double suicide." He pondered the idea for a moment. "But there's no choice. I'm too concerned about what you might have seen in your wanderings."

"What we … you know, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I wish I could believe you. I really do." Tesler Bose stood upright. "However, I don't. I can't guarantee that you haven't got into the safe, so I have to take the ultimate precaution." He pulled his coat into place. "I have to get going. The rest of that tiresome play to watch, then at least I can leave for a while. And Clara isn't going to be happy that I'm not there right now."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"If only you knew, Captain Reynolds. I'm sorry about this. Well, actually I'm not, but it seemed the right thing to say." Bose nodded towards the man behind Mal. "Give me a few minutes to get back, then dispose of them. Oh, and make sure they haven't picked up any trifles either." He strode towards the door.

"Yes, sir."

"No, look, wait –" Mal went to stand up but felt the blow before he even saw movement, and suddenly everything turned black.

-

Freya faltered, her words tumbling and stuttering to a halt. Victor turned to look at her, a question in his eyes, and gave the cue again.

"_I charge thee hence, and do not haunt me thus_."

She stared at him, and something inside took over, giving the response. "_O wilt thou darkling leave me? Do not so_." The scene continued, but her heart was beating almost too loudly for her to hear the words.

-

"What is it?" Theo asked, seeing Jayne hurrying back, a look like thunder on his face.

"They won't let me out. Said there's been intruders in the house, and we're all to stay put 'til after the play's over."

"They?" Simon stepped closer.

"Guards. Lots of 'em. And they ain't just armed with sticks." His hand brushed his naked hip. "Knew I shoulda brought Betsey."

"You've tried all the doors?"

"Every one. So unless you want me to break a window, we ain't going nowhere."

Theo glanced at Etta.

-

Mikel watched as the three men dragged Captain Reynolds and Janith away, then stepped out of his hiding place behind the heavy curtains. He felt bad for them, but knew that if he'd intervened he'd most certainly have joined them. Particularly as it was probably him who'd tripped the alarm when he picked the lock. The guards got here far too soon for it to have been Janith. Or maybe it was Saffron, who the Captain seemed to know. Or Lorelei … He took a deep breath. It seemed like no-one was who they said they were.

He stepped to the door and listened, but there was no sign of anyone coming back. And at least he now knew where to find the safe.

-

Bose slid back into his seat, but not unnoticed.

"Where have you been?" Clara hissed.

"Business."

"Not tonight!" There were two bright points of red in her cheeks.

"Finished now, anyway." _Or it soon will be_, he added mentally.

-

Freya ran off stage at the end of her scene, and grabbed Simon by the arm. "Get Bethie."

"What? Why?"

"Mal's in trouble. But I can't tell what or where, and maybe she can."

"Frey –"

"Do it!" She turned to Jayne. "Get our guns."

"They ain't letting us out, Frey. Can't get to Serenity, even."

She stared at him, then swore. "_Cao_!"

Bethany ran up. "Auntie Frey?"

Going down onto her heels in front of the little girl, Freya looked directly into her eyes. "Bethie, can you tell where Uncle Mal is?"

Bethie's face screwed up a little. "Not supposed to peek," she said, twisting her dress in her hands.

"I know. But I need you to help me. Can you? Please?"

She looked up at her father.

"It's okay," Simon said. "Do what Frey's asking."

"Okay." She bit her lip and concentrated hard. "Cold."

"Cold?" Freya repeated.

"Can't tell much. Just that they're cold."

Freya looked up sharply at Zoe. "They?"

"Mikel," Etta breathed, her face losing all of its colour.

-

Mal opened his eyes. Then wished he hadn't. He groaned and tried to roll over, but his arm was caught beneath him.

"Don't do that, sweetie."

Looking up he tried to see the source of the voice, but his focus was all wrong. Just a flesh-coloured blob that seemed to be glaring at him. He tried to lever himself into a sitting position.

"I said don't to that."

The voice, all silky, sounded all too familiar. He squeezed his eyes tight shut, shaking his head despite the pain in it, then looked up again.

"_Tzao gao_," he murmured. "Hoped I'd dreamed the whole gorram thing."

"Hello again, hubby." Saffron smiled at him.

"What the _tyen shaio duh_ is going on here?" He looked down at himself. "And why am I naked.?" He looked at her. "Although it seems to be catching."

"That's not the only thing."

She held up her wrist, and the cuff attached to it. A chain led from it under Mal's body. He tugged experimentally, and her arm moved. "And I think we're naked because they searched us." She wriggled a little. "Very thoroughly."

"Interesting," he muttered, then felt a shudder of cold run through him. He looked around. "Where are we?"

"The basement, I think. I don't exactly recall much after someone hit me."

"Wish it had been me, darlin'," Mal promised, getting to his feet carefully. At least the air was a degree warmer than the metal flooring he'd been laying on. "I don't suppose they left you your lock picks?"

She raised her arms, dragging his aloft. "Where do you think I could have hidden them?"

He looked her up and down. "Hate to think." He smiled slightly.

Normally she'd have taken that as a sign of encouragement, but now she was just too pissed. "What?"

"It just occurred to me. When I first met you, when you came to me in my bunk, I couldn't look at you. I figured it was morally wrong because you were innocent, needed my care and protection."

"And now?"

"Well, you ain't got no morals, you're far from innocent, and I think you can look after yourself."

She sidled a little closer. "I could really use a knight in shining armour right now," she simpered.

He stepped back. "Saffron, you've got nothing I want."

The façade fell from her face. "Fine. Just get us the _cao _out of here."

"Me? It was your plan got us into this!" He began to laugh.

"It's not funny!" she insisted, almost stamping her naked foot in frustration.

"Saffron, it's either that or strangling you with this chain." He rattled it. "Best we take a look around, see if they haven't done something stupid like leaving the door unlocked."

-

Freya could hardly concentrate. She'd had to hurry back onstage and only managed to get through the next scenes on automatic, letting the words fall from her mouth without any conscious intervention from her brain. Yet no matter what she did, she couldn't get through to Mal, couldn't do anything more than assure herself that he was alive and, at least currently, unhurt. And River was little help, trying as hard as she was to get through the fuzziness engendered by her pregnancy.

Behind the curtain things were not going much better.

"What's going on?" Zoe asked, her hands on her hips. She was glaring at Theo and Etta.

"Why should we know?" The actor lifted his hands. "We're as much in the dark as the rest of you."

"Who's Mikel?"

"One of our other players. He was on board Cressida," Etta explained. "He … went for a walk. I'm just hoping he didn't get caught up in something, if there's intruders about."

"She's lying." River didn't even look at her, just finished straightening her dress. "Ask them about spying." She strode out between the flats.

"Spying?" Simon looked from his sister to Theo Hawkins, his face sharp.

-

"Is it locked?" Saffron asked, standing halfway up the short flight of steps and looking at Mal as he tried the door.

"'Fraid so."

"There's a surprise."

"Saffron, if we weren't chained together …" He stopped, then whooped slightly as he picked something up from the corner.

"What? What is it?"

"Our clothes." Mal held up a bundle of fabric.

"Wonderful. Give me my dress." She held out her free hand.

"Cold?" he asked.

She glared at him, but had to wait while he pulled his pants on. "At least you can put yours on," Saffron complained, struggling into her dress but unable to do more than wrap the top part haphazardly around her breasts.

"Heard tell a naked woman is at home anywhere."

"Well, not this one, and not right now."

Mal couldn't help the smile. "'Sides, you never seemed to have a problem with it before."

"That was work."

"And this isn't?"

"No. This is annoying. _You_ are annoying."

"Happy to be of service."

"If I didn't have to drag your sorry ass around, I'd take you down, Malcolm Reynolds."

"Yeah? Don't think you can be recalling the last few times we crossed paths, Saffron. I seem to remember you coming out on the wrong side, on each and every occasion." He watched her try to tie her top in front of her, his arm hanging loose and cumbersome as she jerked it around. "I believe I told you it was because I had people with me, who look after each other."

"Well, they're not here now!" she snapped, glaring at him.

"Nope. But I've got the notion it won't be long until they are." He sighed. "Here." He held out his shirt. "Might be easier."

"Thanks," she said, ungraciously, grabbing it from him.

"Better moderate that tone before I decide to take it back," he warned.

"Can't you shoot the chain?" she asked, pointing towards the gunbelt in his hand. It had been wrapped in the clothes.

"I would, even if it was only to hit you, but they've taken my bullets."

"Then why did they leave you –"

"The same reason they left our outfits. To make it look like an accident."

"Make what look like an accident?"

"Our deaths. 'Cause, Saffron, I figure they ain't intending to let us out of here. And it's easier to let us dress ourselves than them trying to make a corpse look dignified."


	17. Chapter 17

_Act VII cont – Borodin_

"Spying." Zoe glared. "Care to enlighten us?"

Theo shook his head. "She's mistaken."

"No, she ain't," Jayne rumbled.

Etta touched her husband's arm. "Tell them."

He looked at her. "Etta –"

"Just tell them." She looked like she was about to cry.

-

"There must be something you can do," Saffron said, pushing her arm into one sleeve of Mal's shirt and tying the other around her. "You're the man here."

"Glad you've noticed." Mal sat down on the step and watched her. "But I figure it's just a waiting game until my people come for us."

"What if they don't know something's wrong?"

"They know," Mal said confidently. _Frey, you'd better know_, he thought, somewhat less so.

-

"Mikel is … _was_ something of a thief," Theo began. "I found him one night trying to break into the safe on Cressida. He'd got as far as opening the door."

"I take it you didn't turn him in." Zoe crossed her arms.

"No. After speaking to him, I … well, I found out what his life had been like. Offered him a second chance. He took it, and he's been with us ever since."

"That doesn't explain what he's doing, nor why he's been caught," Simon put in.

"What's he pinching?" Jayne picked up one of the knives from the table, and checked its edge.

"Information," Etta said.

-

"Well, if rescue doesn't arrive soon I'm going to die from pneumonia."

"Any chance of that happening sooner rather than later?" Mal was trying to think.

"No-one's coming." She spoke as if to a child.

"Then we're gonna have to get ourselves out of here." He was concerned that he hadn't been able to contact Freya, but then, they'd not actually tried it that way before. It had always been _her_ dropping her thoughts into _his_ mind, not the other way around. After all, she was the psychic, not him.

"And how do you propose we do that? The door's locked." Saffron pointed to it.

He stood up. "Come on. There's bits of this place we ain't seen yet."

"Bits of … It's a basement, Mal! What do you expect to find?"

"A gag?"

-

"Bose is holding information that will … well, someone needs it."

"He was Alliance," Zoe said slowly. "Who'd be willing to pay you to get it?"

"There's no money involved," Theo insisted. "This is a favour."

"Must be a damn good friend."

"He … you have to understand, this is for the greater good."

"You know, that's just what the Alliance said, all those years ago. Trying to unite all the planets for their greater good." Zoe's tone was dark, matching her eyes. "Funny how that kind of thing leads to war."

"This isn't for the Alliance. Almost exactly the opposite."

"Browncoats?" Hank stepped forward, glancing at his fiancée. "You saying you're stealing … whatever this is … for the Independents?"

"They don't exist any more," the first mate said.

"You're here. So's your captain. And his wife. That's three. You think that's all there is?" Theo dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "There are some influential and powerful people out there, my dear, and they didn't like what happened about Miranda. They're willing to try and break the Alliance hold even more."

"And Bose? What part's he playing in all this?"

Theo stepped back. "I'm not sure. Not really. But he owns a great many companies, has a finger in even more pies. All I was told was that the information was to be found in his safe, right now. And that it will be gone tomorrow."

"No wonder you were so all-fired certain of getting here on time," Jayne growled.

"But if Mikel's been taken along with your Captain, they're in danger. Bose isn't a man to cross easily."

"I think we worked that one out on Santo," Zoe said softly, knowing Theo was holding something back, but realising it wasn't the time to push. At least, not yet.

The actor sighed. "My dear, I am really sorry you got involved in this. If my ship hadn't broken down, there would have been no need for us to take passage with you, and –"

"Theo," Etta said urgently. "Our cue's coming up."

"We have to carry on as if nothing's happened." He adjusted his costume. "If Bose suspects –"

Zoe nodded. "Go."

-

Mal half-pulled, half-chivvied Saffron along, listening to her complain with every step.

"You're hurting my arm," she claimed, tugging back and taking a layer of skin off his unprotected wrist.

"Then keep up."

She walked into him. "Well, I would if you were still going," she complained.

"Shh."

"What?"

"Quiet. I'm listening."

"What to?"

He moved his head, trying to pinpoint something not quite right, and his eyes came to rest on a flight of metal stairs running past a lower corridor and leading down into unlit gloom. "Come on." He walked over, going down the steps before he yelped, and jumped back.

"Afraid of the dark, sweetie?" Saffron asked, just dripping sarcasm.

"Water," Mal said unexpectedly. "And gorram cold." He went down again, carefully this time, reaching into the shadows until his fingers made contact with liquid. Raising his hand to his face he sniffed it, then touched his skin with his tongue.

"Mal, that's gross!"

He looked down at his feet. Lapping sounds, that's what he'd heard. So the water was moving. And it was creeping up towards his toes.

"Basement."

"Yes." She looked at him as if he was going crazy. "So?"

"So that means we're below ground level."

"That's where basements usually are." She rolled her eyes at him. "Why?"

"Because that means we're below sea level too, and that water's salty. Worse, it's rising. I'd say the tide's coming in."

"God, this must be why he said what he did." Saffron moved higher, almost to the limit of the chain.

"What?"

"About us not being flushed with success."

Mal stared at her, then realisation dawned. "And you didn't know he could flood the basement? Get rid of the trash that way?"

She shrugged. "He's made a few improvements since I was here last." She tugged on the chain. "Come on. We have to find another way out of here."

"Where else do you suggest we look?"

-

It seemed to be taking an age. She hadn't been able to leave the stage for more than a couple of minutes, had to at least look as if she was enjoying the play within a play, when all she could think was that last time it had been Mal playing Philostrate, not this man she'd never seen before. Yet every time she tried to find him, to use her not inconsiderable skill to talk to him, it was like she was hitting a solid barrier. Finally she decided it had to be the influence of the audience, all concentrating on the words, the magic of the play, seeping into her brain.

"_Thou wall, oh wall, oh sweet and lovely wall, show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne._"

Yeah, right.

-

"Why didn't you just marry him?" Mal asked peevishly as they trekked through the various corridors to the left of the water-filled stairwell.

"I tried." Saffron sighed heavily. "Only he had me checked out first."

"Found you weren't the honest, innocent and truthful girl you were pretending to be?" He chuckled. "Man might be considered to be having foresight."

"Well, he also tried to have me killed. I mean before this. Can you believe that?"

"No." Mal managed shocked astonishment quite well. Must be all the actors rubbing off on him.

"_And_ he holds a grudge."

"Seems like you two were made for each other," Mal said dryly. "'Cept it seems the height of stupidity to decide to try and steal from a man who hates you."

"He doesn't hate me." She sighed. "He just doesn't understand me."

"Him and half the 'verse."

She tugged on the chain at his wrist in annoyance.

"So … what, you decided to get your own back?"

"Something like that."

"Well, I guess like attracts like."

This time the tug was harder, scraping some more of the flesh from his wrist, and it was now smarting. He tugged back, pulling her to face him, her arm caught behind her back. "You do that again and I'll knock you out," he warned.

"But then you'd have to carry me." She turned on the charm, slithering closer to him, moving her body in undulations against his. "Seems like old times."

"Think I recall telling you once before that we don't have any old times. And stop that."

"Why? Don't you like it?" She pressed harder.

He looked into her eyes for just a moment, then swung his free fist. It connected with a satisfyingly solid sound, and she collapsed back over his arm. "That was worth it," he muttered shaking his ringing hand. "Even if I hafta carry you." He lifted her up over his shoulder and carried on along the corridor.

-

"Stop fidgeting."

"Ain't my fault. Want to be doing something. Knocking heads, maybe."

"There's nothing we can do until the play's over. If we try someone's gonna get hurt. Could even be me."

"You're saying that like it's a bad thing. And he ain't nowhere near as good as I was."

"You think?"

"He can't roar, that's for sure."

"He does this for a living, Jayne."

"That mean he's any good?"

Zoe glared at the two of them, one the man she planned to marry, the other the man she planned to kill, and sighed heavily.

-

Saffron'd come to by the time Mal realised there really wasn't another way out in that direction, turning around and backtracking, but it didn't stop her bitching away at him. It hadn't helped that he'd dropped her unceremoniously at the bottom of the steps leading up to the basement door.

"Hey!"

"You've been awake the last coupla minutes. I ain't carrying you any further."

"I didn't ask you to hit me in the first place. I've probably got concussion." She adjusted her clothes as much as possible.

"Good. Water's getting higher," Mal mused. "Quick, too. Lower levels are already flooded."

"So I can see."

He looked at her. "No, you don't get my drift. If there's only one entrance for the water it wouldn't be rising as fast as this. It has to fill all the little nooks first, so … there's another entrance. Least one."

"And that helps us how?"

Mal tried to control the almost overwhelming urge to hit her again. "It helps because we don't know how many levels there are." He nodded towards the water. "You want to go down and see if there's a pipe leading out into the sea?"

"Only if you go first."

"Thanks, but I'd really hate to leave you behind." He looked along the corridor to the right, a drop of about three feet from the one to the left. "Only one thing to do." He stepped down into the water, the surface coming up to his mid thigh. "_Tzao gao_, but that's cold."

"Colder than last time you tried it?" Saffron asked bitingly.

"We've got to try and find another way out," Mal said, looking up at her, then back along the corridor.

"If you think I'm going to go along there … Mal, it's half flooded!"

"If you don't you drown. Thought of that?"

"And if I do I drown!"

"Fine. I'll wait until you do and then go that way anyway. How long does it take to gnaw through someone's wrist, would you say?"

"You'd let a poor defenceless woman die like that?"

"Saffron, never in a million years would I ever say you were defenceless. And the only reason _you_ ain't hit me in the head is because you need me to get you out of here. Oh, and the fact that we're chained together." He tugged on the chain and pulled her into the water. "Come on."

She slipped and submerged for a moment, then came up spluttering. "You're a pig!"

"Now, darlin', it ain't nice to insult the man who's trying to save your life."

"You hit me!"

"And I'll repeat the performance unless you play nice."


	18. Chapter 18

_Act VII cont - Borodin_

The applause sounded long and loud, ringing through the ballroom as the actors took their bows, until Theo walked to the centre front and raised his hands.

"Friends, friends … I think I can call you that after we have spent this congenial time in each other's company. I am gratified to hear you enjoyed our play, and hope this won't be the last time we meet. But until then, let me wish you all a fond farewell and a safe journey home. Goodnight." He bowed deeply and swept off the stage, followed by the rest of the actors, as the clapping broke out again.

Theo beamed at his troupe. "That was well done, everyone. Thank you."

"Yeah, well done," Zoe said, stepping up close behind him. "But we've still got two missing people here, and no way of finding them."

"They're leaving," Kaylee said, peering through the scenery.

"About gorram time." Jayne stood up. "Bose going?"

"Everyone is."

Zoe turned to him. "Jayne, let us know when the guards have gone."

"On it." The big man loped off.

-

Mal stared up into the small room at the end of the corridor. "Seems we've found it."

Water was pouring through a pipe above their heads, wide enough to take a body.

"I can't climb up there!" Saffron insisted, her shivering becoming almost uncontrollable.

"Don't have to. We'll wait for the room to fill then swim out."

"What if we can't get through? If it turns too tightly, or gets narrow or –"

"Darlin', we're in line to drown one way or the other. If it's gonna happen then I'd kinda like to go down fighting. Or swimming, in this case."

"What about that rescue you talked about?"

Mal paused a moment. "Honestly?"

"Why not? It would make a change."

"Then honestly, I don't think they're gonna get here in time. So we make our own way out."

Saffron stared at him. "You're insane."

"It's been said."

"In which case …" She thought for a moment, then tugged on his arm. "Come on."

"Where? Saffron, I don't see another way out of this."

"I know. But there might be something we can do to make it less likely we're going to drown. Come _on_." Two turns and a hundred yards back the way they'd come they came to a wall covered in clear boxes. Opening one she turned triumphantly, a roll of plastic bags in her hand. "I saw these before, but I never thought they'd come in handy."

Mal peered at them. "So?"

She smiled, the first real and honest grin he'd seen on her face. "Don't say I've stumped you."

"I'm not feeling in the mood for games."

In response she tore a bag off the roll, pulling the open end together and blowing into it, like she was blowing into a balloon. It inflated, and she tied a knot in it. She held it out. "See?"

His lips twitched. "You're gonna hold this against me, ain't you? Coming up with this."

"I hope so," she said. "And I'll enjoy every moment of it."

-

They listened as all the various hovers and other vehicles pulled away from the house, and it fell silent.

"Frey, you want to try again?" Zoe asked.

Freya finished wiping the make-up from her cheeks and looked at her friend, lines on her face where there had been none before. "I have been."

"But there shouldn't be the distractions now."

"Okay." Freya concentrated, trying to break through the barriers now that the play had finished, pushing the text and directions away from her mind to open it up to … She stopped, her eyes going wide.

"Frey?" Kaylee asked.

_Frey? _Mal's voice echoed the young mechanic's.

_Thank God._ The relief in her mental voice was almost palpable. _Are you okay?_

Jayne chose that moment to reappear. "Guards are gone. And look what else I found out there." He hauled a young man forward.

"Mikel!" Etta rushed forward and enveloped him in her arms.

"Where … we thought you'd been taken," Theo said, immeasurably relieved.

"Not me. I got … it wasn't me, Theo. I …" He stopped, aware he was about to let on more than he should. "I just went for a walk."

"Mikel, they know." He took the younger man's arm. "Did you get it?"

"Yes." He glanced at Serenity's crew, still unwilling to give away more information than was needed. "I got it."

"Zoe." Freya interrupted.

"You found him?"

"They're in the basement," Freya said, tugging on her pants.

"They?" Kaylee said in puzzlement. "But Mikel's here."

"Not him," River said, sighing. "Janith."

"That's impossible," Etta said. "She's back on Cressida. Sick."

"And not Janith." Freya sighed. "Saffron."

"That _po fu_?" Simon said before he could stop himself.

"That's the one." She shook her head. "That woman will be the death of Mal. Just hoping it won't be today."

"Basement?" Zoe prompted.

"That's all he knows. The basement of this house."

The first mate glanced at Jayne. "Find out where it is."

"No," Freya said unexpectedly. "There's no time. It's flooding." Everyone suddenly realised her face was pale, drawn. "We have to get to Serenity."

-

The water had climbed higher, and Mal was convinced his toes had fallen off since he hadn't been able to feel them for some time. They'd climbed up onto pipework, trying to keep out of the rising tide, but they were still freezing. Saffron was in a particularly bad way, and he'd had no choice but to cover her body with his, holding on either side, trying to share what little warmth he had with her.

She was shivering, her teeth chattering. "We're going to die," she stuttered out, each word like a machine gun bullet.

"Ain't dead yet, Saffron. Or Yolanda. Or maybe Lorelei." He looked down into her face and smiled, even as his jaw was aching from the cold. "Or is it Erin?"

"Oh, great," she murmured. "Make things worse, why don't you?"

"So that is your real name. Frey said it was."

She gave him as pointed a look as she could manage. "Tell her to mind her own business."

"Oh, she did. She ain't told me anything else, though I know it pained her not to pass on what I'm sure was juicy titbits."

"It's very boring."

"Knowing you, darling, I doubt that." He grinned, then had to grab at the pipework again as his hand slipped. The water was already up to their waists, even holding on above the floor as they were. Mal glanced over his shoulder and noted that the water had reached the pipe. "Saffron, we have to move."

"I'm too cold."

"I ain't dragging you. So you swim. Now." He let go and slipped into the water, it closing over his head before he was able to kick to the surface. "Come on."

She nodded and let go, sliding next to him, holding onto the bags of air as tightly as she could. "If I die I'm coming back to haunt you," she said, her pale face almost white.

"I'll look forward to it." He took some of the bags. "Ready?"

"No."

"Tough." He swam for the pipe, feeling the pressure pushing against him. Holding onto the edge he started taking deep breaths, filling his lungs as far as he could, flushing his system with oxygen. Saffron was doing the same. "Now." He pulled himself into the pipe, thinking just one word. _Frey_.

-

"Where are we going?" Hank asked as they ran through the gardens back towards the Firefly.

Freya didn't answer, her feet just pounding even harder on the gravel walk.

-

It was pitch black, and for a moment he didn't seem to be making any headway, then the pressure relaxed as the water behind him reached above the pipe level. Feeling Saffron bumping into his legs he tugged himself along.

He thought the pipe was curving up slightly, but he wasn't too sure. All he did know was that his lungs were screaming in agony as he exhaled steadily, just a few bubbles escaping from his mouth at a time. Finally there was no more air to breathe out and he stopped, dragging the bags to his lips. Trying to keep a seal, he bit into the plastic, inhaling carefully at the same time. Not a lungful by any means, but at least it eased the burning in his chest for a moment, and allowed him to move forward again. He had no way of knowing if Saffron was doing the same. A few more yards and another bag. A few more and another, and another and … there were no more. All used up.

_Keep going_, he seemed to hear in his mind, but with the rushing in his ears he wasn't too sure. _Please, keep going._

There. Up ahead. The darkness seemed to be a little lighter. The opening into the sea? Through vision tinged increasingly with red he pulled himself forward, praying there wasn't a grille over the entrance, and that he wasn't hallucinating in the first place. His fingers encountered an edge, and he curled his hands around it, propelling himself forwards with the last of his strength. He shot out of the pipe, dragging Saffron behind him, and kicked towards the surface.

He could see a light above him, at least that's where he thought it was, and it seemed so close. He tried to swim towards it, but Saffron was pulling him back down, and all he wanted to do was sleep. Then someone grabbed his wrist and he got the impression of a figure swimming past him.

A sensation of speed, of things moving very quickly, and his head was suddenly out in the air.

"Breathe," Jayne growled, squeezing him tightly. "She ain't gonna like it if I bring a corpse back on board."

_I am breathing_, he wanted to say, but realised he wasn't. He tried to take a great gasp and water rushed from his mouth and nose. He coughed, pain radiating from his chest and filling his body, more water splashing the surface.

Zoe appeared next to him, Saffron in her arms, and he wanted to make some comment, something pithy, something that everyone would always remember, but all he could do was sag back against the mercenary.

"She alive?" Jayne asked.

"She's not breathing." She waved up towards the shuttle, its nose light illuminating the surface of the sea.

"Neither was Mal but I think I got him going again."

_Wasn't I?_

A line snaked down from the open hatchway, and Jayne fastened it securely around Mal's waist.

"Wait," Zoe said. "They're chained together."

"Gorram it." He grabbed Saffron and draped her chained arm around Mal's shoulder, then undid the belt on his pants. Wrapping it around them both he managed to get it fastened, but it was a tight squeeze.

"That gonna hold?" Zoe asked, shaking her head to clear her water-logged curls out of her eyes.

"Don't have time to worry." He waved into the light.

Mal felt something tug at his waist, and wondered briefly why he appeared to be flying. That and the fact that he had a dead weight hanging from his chest. Then hands reached out and grabbed him.

"Got them!"

It was a voice he seemed to recognise, and he found himself lying on a floor. The weight on his chest eased suddenly.

"Cap'n?"

"Help me undress them. But be careful. Don't move them more than you need to."

_Move? Who wanted to move?_

"Simon, she ain't breathing."

"I know."

_Simon_? He tried to speak, but nothing would come out past his numb lips.

"Lie still, Mal, and don't talk."

He felt his sodden pants being peeled from his legs, and he almost cried out as air hit his already freezing skin. Then something was laid across him.

"Not too much. It has to be slow warming otherwise there could be damage."

"What about Saffron?"

"I'm working on it."

"Doc? She breathing yet?"

"No. You'd both better get out of those wet clothes before I have two more hypothermia patients to deal with."

_Is that what I have? Oh, well, good. Thought I was dying._ He tried to turn his head.

"Ssh, lie still."

This time the voice was much more familiar, much more soothing. Something touched his face and he tried to brush it away.

_No, Mal_, he heard in his mind. _Leave it. It will help._

The same as the voice that had spoken, he found he believed it implicitly, and relaxed, feeling a warm zephyr on his cheeks.

_Breathe deeply.  
_

_Okay_, he thought back.

"How's he doing?" Jayne asked, rubbing himself down with a towel.

"He'll be okay," Freya said. She moved the blanket further up Mal's torso. "This warmed oxygen will do the trick."

"You just saying that, or is it true?"

"He'll be fine." With a hand that barely shook, her brushed her husband's wet hair from his forehead.

Jayne looked down at where Simon was still working on Saffron. "Her?"

"I don't know. She took in a lot more water than -"

Saffron vomited up an immense amount of water, staining the floor beneath her, and Jayne took an involuntary step backwards.

Simon nodded, turning her onto her side and lifting her knee into the recovery position, feeling her shivering beneath his touch.

"She's still cold," the big man pointed out.

"No, that's good. Shivering is the body's natural method of keeping warm. Without it I'd be a lot more worried." Simon grabbed a foil blanket and covered the naked woman with it. "I still need to get them both back to Serenity as fast as possible, though."

Zoe stepped to the small bridge. "River, lay in a course for -"

"Already done." She glanced up. "Hank has taken off and we're docking … now."

There was a slight thud and the shuttle shuddered as it was drawn into the clamps.

_Frey_, Mal thought as strongly as he could. _Tell Hank to get us out into the black._

She looked into his blue eyes and nodded. "Zoe, Mal wants us away from here."

"What about the actors?"

River moved into sight. "Cressida's getting ready to leave Borodin. I don't think Theo wants to hang around any longer than he needs to."

Zoe nodded. "I don't exactly blame him."

"Tell them to rendezvous with us in that asteroid belt," Freya put in.

"Mal said?"

"Mal said." Freya finally smiled a little. "I think he wants to have words with Theo."


	19. Chapter 19

_Act VIII - The Black_

Hank manoeuvred Serenity into position, and the two ships docked with barely a bump.

"This is against medical advice," Simon said, watching Mal put on his gunbelt and check his pistol was fully loaded.

"I understand that, doc. And I ain't planning on going anywhere further than the cargo bay. But Theo and I have business, and I don't intend to be at a disadvantage by lying down when we talk."

"You're better, but you're not fully recovered. If you feel dizzy or disoriented -"

"I won't be far." Mal smiled at him. "Don't you worry none." He strode out of the infirmary.

"It's my job to worry," Simon muttered, then turned back to his other patient, sedated on the medbed.

Mal wasn't surprised to see Zoe and Jayne in the cargo bay already, the former with her Mare's Leg strapped to her thigh, the latter with enough weaponry about his person to start a not so small war.

"Is that grenades I can see?" he asked, nodding towards the mercenary's chest.

"Never felt so naked as on Borodin, Mal," Jayne explained. "Ain't having that happen again."

"They'll hear you comin' a mile away."

"Better that than dead."

Mal inclined his head a little in agreement, then looked at his first mate. "Open her up."

"Yes sir." She hauled the outer door open and stood back.

Theodore Hawkins stepped through, looking around the Firefly as he had done back on Ezra. "Captain."

"Theo."

"Are you recovered? Hank informed me about the daring rescue, and your own brush with death."

"I'm getting there."

"And are you planning on shooting me?" He glanced at the revolver on Mal's hip.

"That's up to you. I've been told what happened, and pretty much why. Now I want to hear the rest."

"Is there any more, Captain?"

"Oh yeah. Like … why Saffron? And how's she involved in your plans?"

"Ah. The lovely Janith."

"That's her."

"Honestly, she wasn't part of this. As such. But I suppose I had planned to take advantage of the dear woman."

"Take advantage? How?"

"It's called misdirection, Captain. Your enemy looks one way, while you go another."

"I know what it is. Just not sure how it applies here."

"Captain … Mal …" He suddenly smiled. "I've lived my life lying to people. Only it's been called acting. Pretending to be something I'm not, be it a king, a clown, a priest or a pauper. Do you think I can't recognise it in someone else?"

"You knew Saffron was a con?"

"She was an excellent actress. And for me never to have heard of her, then … yes. I knew she was hiding something. And since she seemed to be equally interested in Tesler Bose …"

"Misdirection."

"Mmn."

"And the truth is, when I found out Janith … Saffron … whoever she is … was sick, I was glad. I didn't want to put her in any danger either, no matter how much easier it made what we had to do."

"Which was what?"

"Information. Something that will be of use to the Independent movement." Theo held up his hand. "And don't insult my intelligence by claiming there is no such thing. You know there are groups, men and women looking to break the Alliance's hold over the outer planets. In fact, I'm surprised you're not a part of one yourself. Perhaps even leading one."

Mal shook his head. "War's done. We lost. And fighting all those years didn't do a damn thing to make it better."

"No. But Miranda did." He saw Mal tense. "I'm only mentioning this so that you understand, so that you believe me. I know about you and what you did. The Miranda Broadwave. And others who are sympathetic to the cause know too."

"The Alliance is too big. Too strong." Mal glanced at Zoe, at her impassiveness. "And they're more ready than they were before."

"That's so. But that merely means we need to get the advantage."

"We?"

"The people I did this for."

"You made it sound more personal than that."

"I'm an actor, Mal. That's all. But actors go where sometimes other people can't. We can get into places, see things -"

"Steal them?"

"Exactly."

"So what was this information?"

Theo shrugged. "I don't know. And I don't want to. Mikel copied a data disc, that's all. Which, by the way, is on its way already. And you'll understand if I don't tell you how."

"So that's it?"

"That's it."

"You going to be carrying on with this spying?"

"No, Captain, you can rest assured this was my last venture into that realm." Theo shook his head. "I'm too old for this game anymore. I want to go back to being an actor, entertaining people, making them laugh or cry, but leaving them alive at the end of the performance."

"Sounds like maybe sometimes you didn't."

"It was a war, Mal. People do things they would be ashamed of otherwise."

"That they do."

Theo stood upright and held out his hand. "Well, I suppose it's time we said goodbye."

Mal ignored it. "Nope. Not yet. We've still got something that belongs to you."

"I don't think so. We packed up all our goods before the performance, and they're on Cressida. Even the scenery -"

"Saffron."

"She isn't mine, Captain."

"Well, she sure as hell ain't mine. And I ain't having her on my ship. So you're going to take her wherever you want, soon as my medic says she can leave."

"Captain … Mal -"

"There's no negotiations over this. She's leaving, and if you don't take her she's going for a long walk without a spacesuit."

"Now, I know you don't mean that." Theo smiled, his chin disappearing into his neck. "You are nowhere near the barbarian you choose to pretend to be."

"No?"

"No. But I'll take her."

"Just don't let her seduce anyone."

"Oh, I think she already did that. Mikel was quite enamoured of her."

"Sorry to hear it."

"He'll get over her. And perhaps he'll see the torch Polka's been carrying for him now."

Mal's lips twitched. "Unrequited love?"

"Indeed."

"Had experience of that kinda thing on my own boat. Very Shakespearian."

"As you say." Theo chuckled. "So how long until we can transfer Saffron?"

"A day, according to my medic. He just wants to make sure there's no complications."

"A day. I think we can live with that."

Mal suppressed a shudder as he recalled the freezing water closing over his head. "I'm just glad we're alive at all."

---

"Uncle Mal, I want to stay."

Mal looked up in surprise at Noni standing in the galley doorway as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Stay?"

"With the Hawkins troupe. I …" She exhaled heavily and crossed the room to stand in front of him. "I feel at home with them. Like I belong."

"And you don't belong here? On Serenity?"

"I do. But I won't be staying here, will I?" Her eyes were very sharp. "I'll be getting off on Lazarus with Inara, and going back to being just another one of the Reilly girls. Won't I?"

"Well, that is the plan."

"I don't want to. I know I'm only young, and you won't want me to, but … I can do this. Play parts. Act. I've proved that, and I really enjoyed it."

"Noni, come and sit down."

"But -"

"Sit." He led the way to the easy chairs and waited until she'd arranged her skirts in the way Inara had taught her before speaking again. "You really want to stay with Theo?"

She nodded. "He's … I really like him. And his wife. And I could be useful, I could learn to make costumes, and play little parts until I got the experience and then I could -"

He held up his hand. "Have you spoken to Theo about this?"

"No. Well, not in so many words."

"Just how many words have you used?"

"He said I'd make a good actress. Be an asset to any troupe."

"But he didn't invite you to work with them."

"Well …"

"Noni."

"No, but -"

"What if he doesn't?" Mal asked. "What if he was being nice and polite, and he didn't mean he'd got a job for you?"

"There's an opening because Saffron's gone."

Mal tried to hide the smile that twitched at his lips. "There is that. But he might be wanting someone who could step into her shoes, not sweep the stage."

"Uncle Mal …" She turned the eyes up to full. "Could you talk to Mr Hawkins? See if he might consider taking me on?"

"Noni, if you really want to act, then that's shiny. Person should always do what they feel is right. But there are other troupes, other playhouses. Maybe Inara can find one closer to Lazarus that could -"

"I want to go with Mr Hawkins!"

"I know you do. But I … there are things about him that I don't trust, Noni."

"Because he's a spy?"

"Well, maybe, but -"

"He said he wasn't going to do that any more. And you can't have any objection to him because he's a crook. Reilly wasn't exactly law-abiding, and I know you don't …" Her voice trailed off at his raised eyebrow. "Sorry, Uncle Mal."

"Noni, whatever I do, or what your father did, is nothing like with this. Theo … his sideline … well, it can be dangerous."

"More dangerous than getting kidnapped by a man who wanted to hurt me?"

Mal stared at her, then took a mental step backwards. She might be young in years, but with the things she'd been through there was a maturity that had been forced on her, and it pained him to see the changes it had wrought. "This what you really want to do, Noni?"

"It really is. I know it's hard work, seen it, but … I can do this, Uncle Mal. And I could write often, let you know where I am, and you wouldn't need to worry about paying anything to look after me, because there's the money from Reilly's estate so I could use that, and if I -"

"Noni, calm down." He watched her take a deep breath.

"Calming down," she agreed.

"You'd have to give me a copy of your itinerary. And any changes, soon as they're made."

She nodded vigorously. "I can do that."

"And call Inara or me every week. Don't want it to be months between knowing if you're alive or lying dead in a ditch somewhere."

"Every week."

"And you'd have to do what Theo Hawkins told you. Bearing in mind that it was legal, that is."

"I would."

"Then I'll talk to him. Noni, you need to realise there ain't no guarantee on this."

"I know." She was vibrating with excitement. "Thank you, Uncle Mal."

"Well, better wait on that until after I've spoken to him."

---

Freya stood in the doorway of the infirmary, watching Saffron. Simon still had her sedated, mainly for their own protection, but it kept her quiet. Besides, the young doctor really didn't want to have to start explaining about the last time they'd met, at the party held by Killian Ornstein. He still blushed when he thought about what went on there.

"She's going to be fine," Mal said, standing behind her.

"So I gather. And she should be thankful you saved her life."

He put his arm around her waist. "Somehow I don't think she's going to remember it that way."

There was a pause as she leaned back against him. "You know she's more than half in love with you."

"With me?" His voice went squeaky for a moment, and he coughed. "With me?"

"With you. And if you let her go I somehow doubt it's going to be the last we see of her."

Mal smiled. "Makes life all kinds of interesting, doesn't it?"

"That sort of interesting I think I can do without."

"What, having to pull me out of the sea, like some kind of exotic fish?"

She turned and looked into his blue eyes, full of love for her. "When are we going to have things easy? Just a nice, simple job that goes smooth?"

He laughed a little. "One day. And won't that be boring."

"Can't wait." She snuggled closer. "So what did Theo say?"

"About …"

"Noni wanting to be an actress."

He glared at her with as much severity as he could muster. "You been peeking again?"

She stuck her chin out. "Yes."

"Where's that control?"

"Lost it. Back in the cold waters of Borodin."

"Is it likely to come back?"

"Possibly. And you haven't answered my question."

"Can't you see it?"

"Just tell me."

Mal sighed, holding her close. "I can't say I'm happy about this, Frey. The man could talk anyone into anything, and the idea of leaving her with him -"

"He's telling the truth, Mal. He really doesn't know what it was he stole, but he truly believes it was for the greater good." She looked up. "And he means it when he says he won't be going back to that life. He wants to act, that's it. And so does Hermione."

"So you think I should let her go?"

"I think in a few years time she'll leave Lazarus anyway and try and make her living on the stage, and at least this way you know where she is, and who she's with. And Theo and Etta will look after her."

"You can be sure of that?"

"I can. Etta already looks on her a little like the daughter she lost." She felt his arms tighten around her, and was glad of it. "She won't let anything happen to her."

"You know Theo said yes."

"Well, I might have …" She smiled. "Yes, I knew."

"And I'm going to have to let her go."

"You are."

"Will you tell Inara for me?"

She wriggled free. "Oh, no. That I'm going to leave to you." She touched his face tenderly. "That's why you're captain."


	20. Chapter 20

_Act IX - Finale_

"I almost hate to pull Polka away from here," Theo said. "Her and Kaylee seem to have hit it off."

"That girl'll talk for hours about engines to anyone who shows even the slightest amount of interest," Mal agreed, his thumbs tucked into his gunbelt as he stood in the centre of the cargo bay. "So to find someone who actually understands … she thinks it's Christmas all over again."

"I'm not sure I like this idea," Saffron said from behind him.

Mal turned, seeing her being helped through from the common area by Jayne, who'd been landed with the job after Simon explained he was keeping out of her way, and Hank refused point blank.

"You should be grateful the Cap ain't just dumping you back down on Borodin," the mercenary said. "But he's got a sentimental streak comes out once in a while, and he wouldn't let me shoot ya. This time."

She stuck her tongue out at him, then looked at Mal. "Are you sure I can't come with you? I'm sure there's a lot we could talk about."

"Saffron, you noticed how Freya ain't come to see you? She's itching to let you know exactly what she thinks of you, and if you stayed on board, I can't be held responsible for what she might do. So best you leave." He smiled, but there was little warmth in it.

"You don't know what you're missing, sweetie."

"Oh, I have a good idea. Bye bye, now."

"We're always saying goodbye." She sighed heavily as Jayne handed her over to Etta, who took her through the airlock into Cressida. "Life isn't fair," her voice echoed back.

"Any idea what you're gonna do with her?" Mal asked curiously.

"Well, we're heading for Boros. I'm sure she can find a transport or work as necessary there."

"I'd frisk her before you let her get off, though, if you want to take my advice. And keep one hand on your wallet at all times."

"Oh, I will. And is my young star ready?" Theo asked, trying to keep the grin off his face.

"Coming," Noni called, dragging her carpet bag over the sill of the common area door. "I was afraid you'd go without me."

"Of course not, my dear. I think you're going to breathe new life into this tired old crew."

She beamed. "I'm so looking forward to it," she admitted, glowing like a little light bulb.

Theo turned to Mal. "I'll look after her, Captain. Like she was my own. Better. And I don't doubt that, in a few years time, she'll be the star of the Cortex."

"Just see that you keep her out of trouble, is all I'm asking."

"Trouble, Captain Reynolds? I don't know what you mean."

"Sure you don't." They both laughed, but Mal stopped first. "Just see to it she don't come to any harm. 'Cause if'n I hear you've slipped back into your old ways, I'll be coming after you myself."

"I won't." Theo looked down at the young girl. "Ready?"

"Ready."

"Said your farewells?" Mal asked.

She nodded. "Bethie's going to write to me, so's Freya. And Inara. And … everyone."

"I thought they'd all be out here, saying goodbye."

"I asked them not to," Noni explained. "I don't think I could …"

"No. I understand." He pulled her into a hug. "I'll miss you, Noni."

"Miss you too, Uncle Mal." She held him tightly, then let go quite suddenly, her face red. "But it's going to be exciting."

"Come on, then, Miss Reilly," Theo said. "We've got curtains to raise."

"Not Reilly," she said firmly. "I decided. I want a stage name."

"Oh?" Theo and Mal glanced at each other. "And what would that be?"

"Noni Reynolds." She looked at Mal. "If that's all right?"

Mal felt his heart grow just a little fuller. "I'd be honoured, Noni."

She grinned, then skipped as she hurried out of the cargo bay.

Jayne watched her go. "Ain't gonna feel the same with her gone," he muttered, climbing the stairs towards his shuttle.

"He's right," Mal said. "It's going to be mighty quiet around here."

"I promise I will take care of her, Captain." Theo held out his hand, and this time they shook.

"You see you do. And it's Mal."

"Mal." Theo grinned and stepped back through the airlock. "Until the next time, Mal."

"Next time."

Cressida's hatch closed, and Mal did the same for Serenity's. Pressing the button to close the inner doors, he thumbed the com. "Hank, time to leave."

"Sure enough, Mal. Heading to Lazarus?"

"Lazarus."

"On our way."

Mal felt the Firefly disengage, and started to walk slowly up the stairs.

---

Freya sat with Inara in the latter's room, sharing a pot of Earl Grey, as Serenity got under way.

"It will be difficult without her," Inara said, sipping her tea carefully. "She was the one most like me."

"Like you?" Freya was surprised.

"Before I became a Companion. Seeing the 'verse like she does, all hopeful."

"Even after Han?"

"Even then. Of course, mostly that was Sam's doing, but …"

"You miss him too, don't you?"

"I …" Inara sighed, and decided to tell the truth instead of the easy lie. "I miss him terribly."

"And yet you were spending a lot of time with Riley."

"He was far too young." Inara placed her cup in the centre of her saucer.

"Do you think River's too young for Jayne?"

"No, but -"

"And Riley was only a few years younger than you, a lot less than River and Jayne."

"I know, but -"

"And you were getting on so nicely -"

"Freya, stop!" The tea cup rattled.

"Sorry." She didn't look or sound it, though.

"Riley was a nice boy. And that's all he is. A boy. I need a man. I _want_ a man. Someone with a little more experience of life. Of relationships."

"Riley might have fought for you, given half a chance. Not just walked out because of a disagreement."

"That's because he's an actor, and they know all about the grand gesture. Sam didn't walk out because of that. There were other things."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe what you like." She picked up her cup, warming her suddenly cold hands.

"Well, in a few days you'll be back home, in your lonely bed, with no-one to warm it for you."

"Dammit, Freya!" This time the cup didn't just rattle, it almost broke as she slammed it back onto the saucer.

"Just saying."

"Well, don't."

"You could always wave Sam. See how he is."

"I'm sure he's fine. And he hasn't waved me."

"Tit for tat?"

"Yes."

"How old are you, Inara?"

"Oh, shut up."

---

Hank stepped onto the bridge, just intending to check things once more before turning in, and was surprised to see Mal in the pilot's seat. The Cortex screen seemed to be on.

"Thank you, Captain."

"Just repaying a debt." He leaned forward and switched the screen off.

"Mal? What's going on?" Hank asked.

"Not a thing."

"Wasn't that -"

"Nothing for you to be worrying about," Mal said, walking off the bridge. "Nothing at all. G'night."

"Um, night." Hank stared after him, slightly phased by the smile on his captain's face, then shook his head. Swiftly he checked the various readings, gave their heading a quick once over, then turned all ship's systems to night mode. The lights on the bridge dimmed even more, and the temperature began to drop by a couple of degrees as he hurried back down the stairs to his own bunk.

"Zoe?" he called as he climbed down the ladder, then stopped halfway. His fiancée was standing half-naked in the centre of the room, letting her hair out of its restraints, and the sight of her glowing flesh almost unmanned him.

"Mmn?" she murmured, turning more towards him.

_Get a grip_, he told himself. _She's yours. No need to act like a schoolboy_.

She smiled at him, almost as if she'd read his mind.

"Uh … Ben down for the night?"

"He is. Fast asleep." She shook her head, running her fingers though her locks.

"Good. Good." He continued down the last few rungs, unable to take his eyes off her. "Good," he repeated.

"You sound like a stuck music file." She laughed and sat down on the bed, tugging her boots off.

"Sorry." He grinned, deciding honesty was by far the best policy. "It's just what you do to me, seeing you all bare-breasted like that. Kinda puts me off my stride."

She reached for her robe. "If you want I can cover up -"

"No!" he said quickly, putting out his hands. "I mean, no, that's not necessary."

"Good."

He attempted to regain control of his wayward senses by pulling his shirt off over his head, and dropping it onto the chair by the bed. "You know, I'd swear Mal was just talking to Durren Haymer."

"Really."

He turned and stared at her. "You don't sound surprised," he said accusingly.

"I'm not. Mal's always had a problem with owing anyone, and ever since Bellerophon he's felt like he's owed Haymer for the information that got us into Han's estate." She stood up and removed her pants. "I think he just took the opportunity to repay the kindness."

"By telling him where Saffron is?"

Zoe laughed again. "Haymer asked Mal to let him know if he came across her again."

"That's cruel."

"Who to?"

"Haymer." Hank shook his head. "Man should know better than to want that cold-hearted _zhu tu_. He must be _fa feng_."

"He thinks he's _li zhi qi zhuang_."

"Saffron ain't no just cause. Nope, I was right the first time." He sat down on the bed, and she joined him, her dark skin pressed against him.

"Up to him, don't you think? He's in love, and people do crazy things when they're in love."

"I guess maybe they do." He leaned over and kissed her gently. "So, you sure Ben's not going to wake up?"

"Can't promise anything," Zoe said, wrapping her arms around him. "Depends on how noisy we are."

"Oh, I was planning on screaming."

"So what else is new?" she asked, and stopped his indignant next words with her own lips.

---

"I'm glad they've gone," Kaylee said, falling into bed.

"Really?" Simon said, stripping his sweater from his back. "I thought you were having a good time."

"Oh, I was. Don't get me wrong. It's just … I'm beginning to hear those lines in my sleep." She lifted her head to look at her now naked husband. "If I start to come out with thou or doth or start talking about fairies, you dope me, _dong mah_?"

He laughed. "Okay." He glanced towards the door. "How's Bethany? With Noni going."

"She's okay." Kaylee shrugged. "Well, I guess she's gonna be a mite miserable for a day or two, but we were going to leave Noni on Lazarus anyway, and she knows how much the girl wanted this."

"I'm glad some good came out of this little adventure."

"So are you going to get into bed, or just stand there looking like a statue?"

He raised his eyebrows. "You think I look like a statue?" He looked down at his physique.

"A Greek god or something." She considered. "Or maybe one of the heroes in those Shakespeare plays."

"I thought I was supposed to dope you if you started talking about them?"

She grinned. "Oh, yeah, that's right."

"So I can't start quoting sonnets to you to make you more … pliable."

"Sonnets?"

"Poetry," he said, lifting the sheet and sliding in next to her, feeling her warm body along the length of him. "Fourteen lines, where the rhyme pattern is AC, BD, until the last couplet -"

She pulled him closer and stopped his mouth with a kiss.

---

"Where's Ethan?" Mal asked, getting into bed next to his wife.

"In with Bethie. She asked." Freya yawned and stretched, putting him in mind of nothing less than a cat. A long, lithe, naked cat. "I think she's missing Noni."

"You know, we're gonna have to put a stop to that someday," he pointed out. "Them sleeping together. Unwed and such. Could ruin our reputation."

"Our reputation?"

"Yeah. For being law-abiding and moral."

She laughed. "Oh, that reputation." She put her hand on his naked chest, feeling the hairs under her fingertips and his pulse under her palm. "So how did he take it?"

"How did who take what?"

"Durren Haymer. About Saffron."

He lifted himself up onto his elbow. "Now I'm pretty sure I didn't tell you. Least, not in words."

"I'll be good from tomorrow," she said. "I promise."

"A likely story."

"So?"

He narrowed his eyes a little at her, then said, "He thanked me. Actually looked … hopeful."

"What do you suppose he's going to do?"

"Well, he might just get to Boros 'bout the same time as Cressida does, so …" Mal suddenly grinned. "Almost makes you want to be there to see the fireworks, doesn't it?"

"You're vicious."

"Takes one to know one"

She widened her eyes and looked at him in shocked astonishment. "You say that to me, your dearly beloved wife?"

"You know I don't mean it, _ai ren_." He kissed her lips tenderly. "Although I did have an offer to trade you in on a different model," he added.

"Saffron?"

"The very same."

"You always did have this thing for redheads," Freya said, leaning back on the pillow.

"No, what I've always had a thing for were brunettes. Redheads just seemed to be more fun."

She hit him.

---

"What're you reading?"

River didn't look up from the large book. "Shakespeare. Theo gave it to me, said it seemed most appropriate. As I was obviously a fairy."

"D'you get pregnant fairies?" Jayne asked, coming down the stairs into the cargo bay.

"Have to. Otherwise where would the new ones come from?"

"Thought they were changelings."

She looked up and smiled. "No. That's my Jayne. Showing one thing and being another."

"Nah. " He sat down on the crate next to her. "What you see is what you get with me."

"I love what I see. And get."

He grinned. "Good." Peering over her shoulder at the close-packed words, he went on, "So what's got your attention?"

"He understood. Could see into the very nature of things. Pick at a thread until it unravelled and he could see the making of the world." She paused.

"You're waiting for me to say 'huh', ain't you?"

"Then say it."

He nudged her gently in the ribs. "Huh?"

"This man, born nearly a thousand years ago, speaks on the nature of reality. What is real? Are we real? That because we think and talk and touch and taste that we actually exist, and aren't the fevered imaginings of a deranged mind?"

"You saying I ain't real?" He put his arm around her waist. "Don't this feel real?"

"But maybe it does only because someone has said it does. That your hand, wandering towards my breast, is only doing so because someone has written it."

His fingers stopped. "You mean I ain't doing it 'cause I want to?"

She wanted to smile at the puzzled look on his face, but also to wipe the frown away. "That way madness lies," she murmured.

"Well, I reckon some of us've travelled too far along that path as it is." Jayne squeezed her a little. "Feel that? That's me. And I'm squeezing you because I want to, not 'cause some dandy in a wig has decided I should. And I'm gonna take you to bed, and make wild and noisy love with you, 'cause I feel the urge, and it's my own body doing that urging, not someone else's." He tapped the book on her lap. "Don't care if he was a genius. Some things he don't know nothing about."

"Wild?"

"Drape you over the bridge controls while I ravish you."

"Noisy?"

"Thinking on making the captain complain."

She shivered delightfully. "We accept."

"We?"

"Me and Shakespeare."

He lifted the book and placed it carefully but firmly down on the floor. "He ain't invited."

"I could read to you."

"I can read, thanks."

"Act things out for you."

"Don't need any direction."

She moved closer to him, her breath on his cheek. "Tell you tall tales of soldiers of fortune, of maids of honour, of love mistaken and labours lost."

He stood up, pulling her with him. "'Nother time, maybe. But right now I wanna feel you around me, and I ain't inclined to wait."

A smile slid across her features, her eyes growing smoky. "Ravish me?"

"Said I would."

"Last one up close the door." She brushed her lips lightly across his and was gone, up the stairs to their shuttle. With a feral grin, he was after her, his hands ready to do what his body promised.

The book of plays lay face up on the decking, an unseen breeze ruffling through its pages. The draught stopped. _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, the tale of four pairs of lovers, who through the twists and turns of that one fairy night, end up with the ones they desire and deserve. The last page fluttered.

'_So goodnight unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends.'_

The page fell silent, smoothed out and soothing, as laughter echoed through the quiet ship, sailing onwards forever into the black.


End file.
